


The Devil's Apprentice

by eliotandq



Series: The Devil All the Time [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Feels, BAMF Natasha Romanov, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Good Loki (Marvel), Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Mother-Son Relationship, Natasha Romanov Feels, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Pepper Potts Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Peter Parker is a Mess, Protective Loki (Marvel), Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark is Good With Kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:00:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 46
Words: 52,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliotandq/pseuds/eliotandq
Summary: The paths we follow hide demons under them.They stood up to the Devil himself, and in the end, they managed to win. Their lives have returned to normal, but you know what they say: The greatest peace is before the storm. A hurricane was literally waiting for them.After all, every ruler has a successor...
Relationships: Bruce Banner & Tony Stark, Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, Loki & Pepper Potts, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Natasha Romanov, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: The Devil All the Time [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1942636
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise! I know I said I would be back in late December or early January, but we have a lockdown again, which gave me a lot of time for the things I needed to do and now I can slowly start translating! <3 
> 
> For those of you who are new here, this is the second part and you definitely have to read the first part in the series, otherwise, you won't know what's going on. We write this on Wattpad with my friend in our native language and I translate it into English. So please note that English is not my native language, I do what I can.
> 
> I hope you are all well in these difficult times and look forward to the sequel as much as we do! So far we have written a beautiful 74 chapters. You can look forward to more Natasha and a little of her past. This time we will treat ourselves to more scenes with princes of Asgard, especially the dark-haired one. Of course, the familiar faces of the villains must not be missing, but new ones will join us as well so that it is not boring.
> 
> Let us know, how much are you excited about it! <3

_"Pep, Peter! I'm home!" Tony exclaimed cheerfully as he finally unlocked the door and stepped into their house. He was gone for a while and couldn't wait to see the two of them again and hug them properly. He missed them. He stepped into the living room with a wide smile on his face. He knew he would find them here waiting for him. But the smile suddenly froze on his face, and his whole body froze as he stared at the tied Pepper, who lay motionless at the tall woman's feet, and Peter with a gag in his mouth, a knife attached to his neck. His sharp blade shone in the light. Tony looked up a little higher and met the triumphant look of a brown-haired woman who was scary but still beautiful._

_"Tony, dear, that's enough that you showed up too! I'm very glad you decided to join us," she snarled contentedly, and as if she was bored, she ran with a knife lightly along Peter's neck, leaving a not so deep scar. A few drops of the boy's blood clung to the blade of the knife, and Tony felt sick to see the helplessness clearly written on Peter's face._

_"What are you doing here? Leave them alone. Leave us finally alone," he hissed, walking toward them, but spider webs shot out from somewhere and bound him tightly as if his legs had grown into the ground. The brunette smiled smugly and clenched Peter's hair in her fist. He muttered something to the gag._

_"But honey, you won't run away from the past. I have a right to you. And you know very well that I do not have the nature to give up. Or have you forgotten? Did you forget about me and how good we were together? Tell me... what I don't have, but Pepper does? What led you to get together with someone like her?” she snorted mockingly, slipping disgustedly at Pepper, who was as pale as a wall._

_Tony groaned inwardly, trying to figure out how to get out of this mess. "Tell me what you want. I'll do it, just leave them alone. Don't hurt them," he begged her._

_She laughed out loud, the sound bouncing off the walls, and Tony's hair on the back of his neck bristled. As if the air in the room had cooled. "How humiliating it must be for you. Humiliate yourself like this. Beg me. Do you know what I want, Tony? I want you. I want Pepper's death. I want you to watch her die. I want you to help me with my research. Created a new army with me. I want to use Peter for my experiments. At least he would be useful," she said mockingly, and Tony saw the red. He clenched the handcuffs, wanted to pounce on her and strangle her himself. But he couldn't. The spider webs did not break._

_"You're a monster. You'll burn in Hell for this."_

_A devilish smile appeared on her face. "Are you sure, Anthony?"_

_And then he fell. He found himself in the parking lot. Some cars were on fire. People were horrified, screaming, and running away in panic. Tony struggled to his feet and saw a man with long, dark hair walking down to him like a veil along his half-covered face. He fixed his murderous, cold-blooded eyes on him, then aimed his pistol at him. He started firing and Tony just dodged._

_"He's my friend..."_

_"Anthony Stark," the dark-haired man growled as he got close enough to him. He drew his knife and attacked Tony in a few precise movements. But it didn't surprise him this time._

_"You don't deserve that shield..."_

_"I'll kill you," Bucky Barnes promised, stabbing him in the stomach with one quick motion. Tony gasped and dropped to his knees. Bucky scanned him at the last glance, then turned on his heel and strode away._

_"Tony..."_

_Tony was bleeding. He was lying on the ground, his hands pressed to the wound on his stomach. He was alone. And he was dying._

_"None of this would have happened if you came back to me. And you know it very well," a familiar voice came to his ears. He closed his eyes. Maybe he had lost so much blood that he was going crazy._

_"Get out... from here," he hissed as hard as he could while she placed his head on her lap. She smiled at him and stroked his hair as if he were a small child._

_"But Tony," she told him gently, running a long fingernail along his face. Satisfaction flashed in her eyes, a devilish glint... "You know very well that you will never get rid of me..."_

He gasped loudly and sat up quickly. His heart was pounding, his blood was pounding in his temples, and his clothes were sweaty. It was dark in the room, and as he wandered to the clock with a shaky look, he found it was half-past two in the morning. He exhaled, trying to calm down. He ran his hands through his hair, and then the mattress beside him arched, and he felt a tender hand on his shoulder. He looked back. Pepper watched him intently.

"Tony? Is everything all right?” she asked quietly, still a little sleepy.

He tried to smile, which she couldn't even see in the darkness. "It's okay, honey," he tried to reassure her. His voice shook a little. The dream was too vivid. "It was just a dream." It was as if he reassured not only her but also himself. He lay down next to her again and she kissed him briefly. He closed his eyes. But he knew he wouldn't fall asleep again. It was just a dream...


	2. Chapter 1

It was exactly as he thought. He didn't fall asleep again that night. And because they were still on vacation in a beautiful villa right on the beach, he had to stay in the embrace of his love. Not that it bothered him much. He enjoyed himself in Pepper's arms, but he would lie if he said he didn't miss his escape to the workshop at that moment.

With sunrise, he decided it was time to get up and go prepare for his, hopefully, future wife, breakfast in bed. Their stay on a quiet island was rapidly coming to an end, and he still hadn't spoken. However, he was convinced that today the marriage proposal would come at all costs. Bruce and Natasha took Peter on the all-day trip, so he had the perfect opportunity to do so. And with his thoughts on these two, he had to admit he was very surprised at how the two people, who always said the family was something they would never have, had been relaxed in recent days, as Tony had never experienced them. Personally, he could imagine that they would sometimes start their own family together, although they would certainly protest against the idea.

Tony looked at his masterpiece and with a sigh lifted the tray from the table. The pancakes were slightly burnt on one side, but he knew Pepper wouldn't mind. She was used to his culinary skills, and she knew very well that he had not prospered much in them. He carefully opened the door to their temporary bedroom and wasn't surprised to find Pepper awake writing something on the tablet. She just could never fully rest. She spent at least an hour every day handling work emails.

"What did we say about that, love?" he asked a rhetorical question.

"And what was I supposed to do when I woke up and you weren't lying next to me?" she asked with a smile on her face and glanced at him before setting the tablet on the bedside table. Tony placed the breakfast tray in the middle of the bed and sat on the edge next to Pepper with a cup of black coffee in his hand. His stomach was too tight with nervousness, so he didn't even try to eat something.

"It's quiet, maybe we should look around for something like that in New York," Tony remarked after a moment of silence as Pepper ate breakfast and he looked out the large window. There was nature all around them, and he didn't want to go back to the bustling center of New York. After everything they have experienced in the last six months, a peaceful holiday has greatly benefited them.

"We will not find anything like that at home. After all, we're talking about New York here," she pointed out and drank her coffee.

"We can always move out of the city," he said, watching her reaction closely. The last few months had taken its toll, and he caught his dear half, how her smile always fades when he talks about their future. As if she was still afraid that Mary would reappear, which he couldn't blame her for. He had nightmares about it himself. “If we’re gonna make this work, you also have to come to me when something is going wrong in your life. You need to trust me.”

“You’re right,” she sighed and leaned over to kiss him. Tony was about to deepen the kiss, but at the same moment, she pulled away. “Wait a second. What do you mean “if this gonna work”?” she asked, taken aback, and he swallowed hard. It was here. There was no going back.

“Pepper, you know we’re gonna be together forever right?”

“Not if that’s how you’re gonna ask me,” she muttered, looking away. She was surprised that he had started talking about it at all, but she would have lied if she had said that her heart was not stabbed slightly in the way he had chosen.

“It doesn’t matter how I ask you.”

“Why not?” Doesn't every girl dream of a beautiful wedding, which is preceded by a romantic proposal?

“Because we both know however I ask, it won’t be exactly the way you would’ve instructed me to ask. So might as well ask you any way I want. I thought that it mattered what I said or where I said it. But when you left me, then I realized the only thing that matters is that you- you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. And if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way. To be the happiest woman in the galaxy. And I know I should have had the courage to do that a few years ago, but I was too afraid of rejection. But life without you is something I don't want. Neither does Peter. That's why I'm asking you, will you do me the honor of marrying me?” He finally finished his monologue, hoping he said everything he wanted. With a trembling hand, he took the ring from his pocket and waited patiently for Pepper's answer.

Pepper was completely shocked. And she was immediately ashamed of her previous feelings because Tony was right. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that they would spend the rest of their lives together. The two of them and Peter. Like a real family.

"Yes!" She finally exclaimed with a huge smile on her face and tears in her eyes. She always thought Tony wouldn't want a wedding, but here she was. The man who had owned her heart for so long asked her to marry him.

And when Tony put on her engagement ring with great relief and indescribable happiness, she finally realized that she was the only one for him. That he loves her as much as she loves him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a new oneshot about Pepper and Loki and I would be more than happy if you give it a chance <3


	3. Chapter 2

"Today was great," Peter said suddenly as he sat on the beach, Natasha on his left and Bruce on his right. They squinted against the setting sun, which reflected on the shimmering sea surface, sending dazzling golden flashes toward them. Their feet were buried in soft sand that was pleasantly cool. In short, they were just good.

“I'm happy to hear that. God knows you needed some real distraction," Natasha said with a smile and exchanged a happy look with Bruce. Peter didn't miss it, he had to smile himself. He was glad Aunt Nat and Bruce got together because the two of them just mean to be together. Like his mom and dad.

Somehow he couldn't believe that several weeks had passed since he shot his biological mother. Everything came together, and at first — it was the worst thing for him then because it was still too fresh — he could barely make out what was real and what he thought had happened. The first days of that incident, he practically just slept. He was gaining energy. Life before was not easy for him. Pepper was gone. He spent some time in Mary's lab. He faced her lies, which she pretended to be true. And then it happened. When Pepper was finally home and it looked like everything would be the same as before, it wasn't. Peter was burdened with a conscience. And now that he could finally sleep in peace, he actually couldn't. He saw Mary regularly in dreams... in nightmares. And he couldn't get rid of it. It was ironic.

He hoped to regenerate on vacation. That his mind would calm down here. That he will get over it. After all, he spent that time with the people who were his dearest. He was away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, the slimy eyes, and the ubiquitous glances that followed his every step. Or so it seemed to him.

"Don't you miss school?" Bruce teased him kindly.

"Not really, actually. I'm fine here. I could imagine living here my whole life," Peter breathed, wrapping his arms around his knees. Bruce suddenly stood up.

"Well, I'll probably slowly go home. I will make some dinner. And I'll check if Pepper and Tony are okay," he winked at them, dusting the sand off his pants. "It's nice today. We could eat outside."

"That would be nice," Natasha agreed, and Bruce gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before turning and heading to the big white house. "Shall we go on walk?" she suggested, standing up and reaching out to him. Peter grabbed her hand and they walked hand in hand on the beach for a moment. The sand swirled in all directions, and seagulls shouted overhead. The sea rippled the shore and rustled softly. It was a pleasant harmony.

"Do you know I like you better with red hair?" Peter said suddenly, and she laughed. Her curls now reached under her shoulders, and Natasha had recently dyed them to their original color.

“Yes, I know. Actually, everyone told me that," she said, adding after a moment, "I'm sorry I'm pulling it out again, but I think it's time to talk about Mary and what happened." The atmosphere thickened. Even though it was hot, Peter could feel him freezing, drenched in an icy sweat. He swallowed and stared blankly in front of him.

"Mom and Dad told you everything," he reminded her quietly. "What more can I tell you? That I am sorry? That I didn't want to cause anyone's death? That I didn't know I was aiming that gun at her? That nightmares haunt me every night and I can't stop them? Have you ever killed anyone, Nat?"

Natasha didn't answer him. "I know you're blaming yourself. But maybe it was for the best. Who knows what that woman would be able to do to you. She could have killed Pepper and you without blinking. It was self-defense. Tense situation. They can't do anything to you, Tony will take care of it, but they're still investigating - "

"Wait, is Dad doing anything about it? Like - it's like bribing them to leave me alone?" Peter snapped in disbelief. "He can't do that! And why didn't he tell me anything?"

"You have to deal with a lot of things already, he didn't want to burden you with more worries," Natasha explained patiently. "You won't have to go to any trial or be in custody or anything. They would have done it a long time ago if they could. The investigation has been going on for quite some time, but it's not easy. They must consider all the circumstances. They're looking for other people Mary has worked with. And finding them isn’t a piece of cake," she added grimly. She didn't say she had the urge to get involved on her own. She could find them, she was convinced. It wouldn't be the first time she's done something like that. However, neither Tony nor Pepper approved of it, and she admitted that it was probably not the best option. It would not be best to draw even more attention to herself. Although Ross pardoned her, she was sure he had done so very reluctantly. Any overstep and it will be used against her. Everyone had to be careful now. It's not over.

"Wouldn't it be better if I told them about it myself?" Peter muttered.

"Definitely not. Pepper and Tony talked to them and they told them everything you told them. It is no longer necessary, they have something to work with. And you have to be safe and not let it grow over your head. It's not easy. You're still a child. Extremely intelligent and improved, but still a child. You have to learn to work with those feelings and thoughts, to filter them out. "Don't let them control you," Natasha advised, then frowned a little. "They already know everything from you, but they still have a lack of witnesses. You testified, Mary is dead. And the last witnesses who see it with his own eyes was Beck."

"And only God knows where is he right now," Peter sighed.

"Well, not quite," Natasha corrected him, and Peter looked up hopefully. "Quentin Beck was found last night. Dead."


	4. Chapter 3

Pepper stood leaning against the balcony railing, staring at the calm sea surface. In her eyes tears, which she could no longer hold. After the family dinner, she excuses herself and went here. She knew she should be happy. Quentin Beck was dead. Mary was dead. She was finally engaged to the love of her life. But despite all of that, happiness was very volatile for her. Everyone was trying to absorb the events that had happened in recent months. Everyone had their nightmares. But she was the only one who had to wonder why her child had died. Exactly as Mary told her back then. Her thoughts kept going in that direction, though she tried so hard to avoid them. Why did her unborn child have to die? And how did Mary know about it? Didn't she really have a shred of emotion in her? Why was her innocent baby a threat to her? Wasn't it enough that she had already deprived her of one child at that time?!

"Here you are! I was beginning to worry that you were wandering somewhere. Bruce and Nat went for an evening walk on the beach and Peter is preparing our family evening full of Star Wars," Tony said suddenly behind her, and she wiped away her tears with a quick movement of her hand. Tony had enough on his plate already. He didn't need to worry about her problems too.

"I just wanted to enjoy the view on the sea," she said in a hoarse voice, then moaned inwardly. Now Tony will know for sure that something is wrong.

"Are you all right?" he asked carefully, hugging her.

"Sure," she replied, trying to smile, though it was unnecessarily. Firstly, he couldn't see her face because he hugged her from behind, and secondly, he must have known from her tone of voice that she was lying.

"I thought we weren't lying anymore to each other," he said, but he didn't get an answer. He stopped hugging her and leaned against the railing next to her so he could see her face. Her eyes were slightly red, and he could notice wet tears on her cheeks. This sight completely destroyed him. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you? Pep, love, in the morning you agreed to make me the happiest man in the galaxy. Talk to me. Please."

"I have to think about the little one," she whispered, and more tears found their way out.

Tony paused for a moment. It took him a few seconds to realize what Pepper was talking about. They talked about their unborn child only once, at Pepper's home. He thought about it for a few hours after that day. What would it be like if they had another child together. But to tell the truth, then there were so many problems that he completely dropped Pepper's - their - loss out of his head. And now he was really ashamed of it.

"It still doesn't occur to me, how Mary found out. Only Natasha knew about it. I don't know how she could have known about it, and I don't understand that her first thought was that our child was a threat to her. She took Peter from us and took our baby from us too. Why, Tony? Why was she so cruel?!” she sobbed and threw herself around his neck. Now she needed his hug more than ever before.

"Pepper, I understand you want to know the answers to these questions, but the truth is, I can't give them to you. Natasha certainly didn't tell her, and Mary is no longer here to answer. I'm so sorry about what you had to go through," he said heavily and kissed her in the hair. Blood was boiling inside him, and he wished Mary was still alive. So he could cause her the same pain she caused his family. He wished so much that she would suffer. To ask him for mercy that he would never give her. He was sure Nat would be happy to join him. And he did not doubt that she knew many methods of torture.

"Don't we deserve to be happy?" She asked in a whisper. Tony didn't answer her and just tightened his grip on her.

Peter wasn't okay. And who would be. But he had to admit that after today he was happy again after a long time. He spent the day with Nat and Bruce, Quentin Beck was found dead, and as the icing on the cake, their parents told them at dinner that they are going to married. And that's what Peter always wanted. He was so glad Pepper came back to them. And finally, she will become one of them. At least officially, otherwise, she was one of them for several years.

Peter was really happy that night. But he had no idea how quickly this situation could change. When he had everything ready for the movie night, he decided to go find his parents, which he currently considered a big mistake. Because now he was standing in the doorway of their bedroom, accidentally listening to their conversation. He has experienced so much in recent months that this fact completely fell out of his head. But now it all came back, and he was fully aware of what he had done.

“ _Oh yeah, if you could evoke memories or something... I just wander from conjecture to conjecture like this and I'm very exhausted. I would like to be wrong. Then I could forget about everything and finally go to my mom. Go to Pepper… Everything would be easier then. And especially now when she's pregnant. And that's another problem."_

That's exactly what he said to Beck when he considered him a friend.

It was his fault.

He killed her baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's funny that before we started writing this, we thought we would start with a little comfort, give them a break for a little bit. But obviously we can't. But don't worry, there will be plenty of fluffy moments. But also be prepared that there will be enough angst. 
> 
> I know there isn't much yet, but what do you think about it? Comments and kudos are welcome <3 So far, it's slower, but don't worry, we've prepared a few situations that will make life difficult for them all.


	5. Chapter 4

"So Beck is dead," Tony said as he heard the balcony door open and Natasha comes in. They heard the murmur of the sea, which had calming effects. He could get used to such a life. Far from people, in some beautiful place, with those he loves. What kept him in New York? The Avengers did fall apart. And if there are any new superheroes, there will be a new generation. Tony is practically retired. And Pepper and Peter finally deserve some peace.

"Looks like it," Natasha agreed, leaning against the railing. Their family movie night ended about half an hour ago, Peter was already in his room, Bruce was asleep, and Pepper excused herself a little before the movie ended. She claimed she was tired. No one persuaded her to stay, she was still working on the fact that she had lost her baby. Before that, she had been busy fighting Mary, which was forcing her not to think about miscarriage and to focus fully on defending her place in the Starks' lives. But now the danger was gone, and everyday worries were coming to the top again.

"At least we're less worried," Tony growled. If Beck were alive, he'd find him and deal with him on his own. He deserved to suffer for hurting his family. "It's weird anyway. there is no threat on the horizon. Maybe Vision was right about his equation. We withdrew, and the villains withdrew too. Well, that will be boring."

Natasha smiled and shook her head. "It's a little liberation. You will miss it at first, but then you get used to it and suddenly you realize that you don't really miss it anymore. You won't even enter the workshop in a moment and forget your suits. It's time to get rid of it and move on. Bruce and I also want to draw a line behind the past and start really living. Maybe I'll finally get used to looking at everyone and not wondering if it's the future villains who're up to something."

"There will probably be more to it than just a grain of truth."

Nat looked at Tony and squeezed his arm. He looked back at her. "Tony, don't you think it's time to forget the old wrongs? You and Steve have suffered enough. Can't you just forgive and forget about it? It would finally be some positive distraction for both you and Peter."

Tony sighed in frustration. "I should have thought you'd pull it out again. I don't know, Natasha. I'm not going to beg him. The team broke up because of him, he kept it from me that he knew my parent's killer, Rhodey was almost killed because of him-"

"You both have a share of the blame," Nat interrupted sharply. "It's like having children in the sandbox. Stop being so childish, Tony. I know you like Bruce, but you miss Steve and how you could tease him constantly. So damn it, take that phone and call him."

Tony looked at her hard. "Are you in contact with anyone else on the team?" Natasha shook her head. She wanted to contact Clint at least, but she didn't want to risk it. And then she was so busy that even though she was pardoned, it wasn't the time. "Okay. I'm going to think about it," Tony promised her gruffly, and she winked at him. They said good night and they both went to their bedrooms.

Peter, meanwhile, was rolling in bed in his room. He couldn't sleep. He had too many things to think about. Parents' wedding. Death of Quentin Beck. That Pepper had a miscarriage.

He rolled onto his side. He hoped it would be quiet now, and instead, his head was full of unwelcome thoughts again. Those weekdays, the commonness of life, a peaceful stereotype, it was perhaps worse than saving the world. Until now, Peter had enjoyed his vacation, but now he longed to return home. He was a little sorry that it was summer because if he went to school, he could at least focus on tests and learning rather than his thoughts and family worries.

Peter yawned and reached for the phone. He unlocked it and clicked the messages. Ned was still online. Peter hesitated whether or not to write to him. But Ned is his best friend and he tells him everything. He and Dad discussed whether he could tell Ned occasionally what had happened, and Tony agreed. Ned proved that Peter could trust him already before when he knew that his best friend was a Spider-man.

 _I have something to tell you_ , he wrote to Ned and sent the message quickly before he could change his mind. In a few seconds, he turned out to read the message, and then three dots appeared.

 _Tell me, I'm listening,_ he wrote him back.

Peter bit his lip, wondering how best to formulate the message. It will probably be best if he submits it simply, simply as it is. No long and unnecessary chit-chat.

_Beck is dead. Aunt Nat told me today._

_Holy crap. But that's probably good, isn't it? He looked like a nice guy, but he actually wanted to kill you the whole time. Horror. One cannot trust almost anyone._

Peter sighed. _You are right._

_It's actually a bit of a shame. He could have been a really good teacher._

Peter did not answer. He really liked Beck and still didn't get over his betrayal. He trusted him so much, and in the end, he turned out to be... someone like that. He wondered if it was all his fault. That if he hadn't been so trusting and had exposed Beck in time, he might have been able to reverse all the events that had taken place.

_Well, man, I'm going to bed, I'm tired. Be strong, and if anything, let me know. Enjoy your vacation, but I'm looking forward to you coming back and meeting again!_

That lifted Peter's spirits. He wrote off quickly. _I'm also looking forward to that. Tomorrow we'll write. So good night, Ned._

He turned off the phone and set it down on the bedside table. Maybe he was a little relieved when he told Ned. Now maybe he'll fall asleep.

Why are they still so worried when everything bad is behind them?


	6. Chapter 5

It was foolish of him to think that he would be able to fall asleep. After all, he has experienced several of these nights before, especially recently. Therefore, he knew very well that if sleep did not come at a time when the hands on the wall clock showed four o'clock in the morning, it would not come at all. 

Angrily, he kicked off the duvet like a small child and stood up with a low sigh so he could change into something warmer than his pajamas. He was terribly tired, but he still decided on a morning run on the beach. He had so many negative emotions in him that he had to get them out somehow. And the best way was physical activity.

He quietly left their holiday home, and as soon as the sea wind cooled his skin, he ran. He didn't care too much about where he was running, he couldn't get lost here. It was not his first run during the holidays. Sometimes they went for a run with Nat. To the cliff and back again. But now he was alone, and at first, he felt it served its purpose. As he ran, all thoughts that weighed on him disappeared. His head was completely empty and he felt so free. He would almost say that if he went back to bed now, he would fall asleep in an instant. The problem was that when he ran to the cliff after forty minutes and stopped, all thoughts came back with the snap of a finger and had a tsunami effect. It all hit him again, perhaps even more than before.

He screamed in frustration. He was glad there were no other holiday homes, so no one could hear him. Tears welled in his eyes and he didn't even try to stop them. He didn't have the strength to do it. He was so tired, both physically and mentally. Especially the second. He received so much good news yesterday. Beck was dead. The parents finally got engaged. It was all about getting better. So why was it exactly the opposite? Why did it have to go wrong again? Why couldn't they be a normal family? Why didn't he look through Beck's mask? It was his fault. It was all his fault.

He just stood there for a moment, watching the calm sea surface with a misty look. He wished he had the same peace in his head, but there was another big storm in his head again. He wiped away tears with the sleeve of his sweatshirt and ran back to be close to their house when the others woke up.

Tony, who had never spent too much time with sleep, had been awake long ago. He was currently standing on the terrace, a cup of black coffee in his hand, of course, looking out for his son with a little worry on his face. As he went to check on him on the way to the kitchen, his heart stopped for a moment after he found only an empty bed. It took him a few seconds to calm down and realize that nothing could happen to him. After a minute, he realized that Peter was probably going for the morning run, so he decided to sit on the terrace and wait for him there. After all, he could fully calm down when he saw his son. When he sees that he's really fine.

It had been twenty minutes since he had stepped onto the terrace, and still no Peter. Tony was getting a little cold because he was only wearing a t-shirt and mornings were colder here. But by no means did he want to go inside and get warmer. No. First, he had to make sure Peter was okay. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long. As soon as he saw the familiar brown curls, he set the now empty mug on the table and walked slowly to the beach.

He stopped a short distance from the house and waited for Peter to reach him. He was free from worries for a few seconds, but the closer Peter was to him, the more worries returned to him. He noticed that his eyes were red and he looked like he didn’t sleep at all at night. Tony didn't like to see that.

"Good morning," Tony greeted him, when Peter finally ran up to him, and studied him closely.

Peter nodded but didn't make a sound. He knew that if he tried even a simple "hi", he would break. And he didn't want that. Not again.

"You know we have to talk about it," Tony said softly as they stood there in silence.

"She'll hate me," Peter breathed, staring at the sea. It was clear to him that he was not hiding this, but he did not want to go out with it so soon. But the truth was, it was too much of a burden for him. He couldn't hold it in him and pretend nothing had happened. That he did nothing.

“Who?”

"Pepper," Peter replied simply, and there would be no blood in Tony at that moment.

"Hey, little bat, focus on my voice, okay? It's just you and me. We are on holiday. It's all right," Tony began, thinking Peter had one of his seizures when he didn't know what was going on around him. When he doesn't know what's real and what's not. Otherwise, he would not call Pepper by her own name.

Peter fixed his brown eyes on him, tears welling up, and gave him a sad smile. "I know, Dad," he assured him.

"You have to tell me what's going on in that clever head of yours. What's bothering you?”

"I can't tell you, then you'll hate me too," he snorted, wiping away his tears, which was a little unnecessary, as new ones immediately ran down his cheeks.

"Little bat, that's not true. You know neither Pepper nor I could ever hate you. You're our son," Tony said softly, trying to pull him into his arms, but Peter took a few steps back. A wrinkle appeared on the forehead of older of the Starks. He longed so much to fix it all.

"I'm a killer," he said, and Tony's heart fell to a million tiny pieces that fell apart into millions more.

"We've talked about that before, Pete. It was an accident. You're not to blame," he tried to explain.

"But I'm not talking about Mary."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Peter :(


	7. Chapter 6

Tony frowned in confusion. He didn't understand. If he's not talking about Mary, then about whom? 

"Peter, I think we really need to talk. And also to clarify a few things. You're not a little boy anymore, you're smart and I know I can be completely honest with you. Please sit down," he asked, a little tired. Peter obeyed him without a word and quickly wiped his eyes. Tony sat across from him and exhaled heavily. He looked away, the terrace giving them a beautiful view. The words he was about to say were heavy, but they finally had to be spoken aloud.

"I don't talk about it easily, and it's not because Mary was my ex-girlfriend," he began, rubbing his hands. He spoke slowly, thoughtfully so that Peter could really understand him and he said everything he had to. "Every life is very valuable. I understood that when I found out that my weapons actually kill someone every day. And that although we are Avengers and we have to protect the people, we also threaten them. Innocent people who have done nothing wrong. Every life has some value, so did Mary's. After all, she was a great scientist who did groundbreaking research," he smirked. It really wasn't easy for him to talk about it. "But it's about perspective. For me, Mary was a great risk, a danger that threatened not only me but you. Recalculating how much she did just to achieve her goal, I don't think you'll be surprised to say that I would be able to kill her, because she lost my admiration and recognition, and her life was not valuable to me. I know it sounds awful, but it's true. Maybe we really got along. We both have so much blood on our hands that it can never be washed away."

Peter folded his hands uncertainly in his lap and kept his eyes on his father. "Dad," he said cautiously. "I wanted to tell you -"

"Wait, don't interrupt me. I have to finish," Tony asked, raising his hand to stop him. "The woman hurt not only our family but the other people who had nothing to do with her at all. She was a bloodthirsty beast that literally went over corpses, just for her to be happy. She had no conscience. And the lives of people like that, in my opinion, have no value. I don't mean to say she deserved it. She only deserved to suffer a lot. When I think about everything she's done, I feel like..." Tony clenched his jaw and clenched his fists tightly. Peter watched him softly and waited. "You're not a killer, Peter. You never think that. You defended yourself. Yourself, your mom. If you spared her or just shot her, it wouldn't stop her. She would finish what she started. She would kill Pepper and use you for her research. Gradually, she would get rid of us all. Me, Nat, Bruce. And she wouldn't care."

"I know Mary was a terrible woman," Peter agreed in a low voice. "I found out firsthand. But despite what she did to me, I still feel bad for killing her. And somehow I don't know how to deal with it," he admitted to his father.

Tony smiled tenderly at him and reached out to pat him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, it will be fine. It just takes some time. I know how you feel. You'll only be fifteen soon, and you've had so much behind you. I know it's not easy. But whenever you feel like you can't handle it, or that you need support, reassurance, don't be afraid to come to us. Mom and I are here for you and always will be. And the fact that you feel remorse," he breathed, smiling encouragingly at him, "means you're a really good person. And that if it went differently, you wouldn't do it."

"Thanks, Dad," Peter whispered, feeling his father's hand on his shoulder. They both smiled at each other. "But, you know... I have something else to tell you."

“Hm? I am listening.”

"I... When Pepper left us and didn't live with us for a while, I once heard Aunt Nat talk to Bruce about Pepper expecting a baby." Tony froze at that moment. He didn't expect that. Pepper hoped that Peter knew nothing and would not even know that she had had an abortion, they did not want to give him any more worries and there were enough tears, but thanks to his improved senses, he probably had to hear everything…

"I was excited to have siblings, even though I was afraid that the baby - well, you know - would really be yours. In retrospect, I am ashamed of my thinking. Until a few days ago, I thought everything was fine, and I was looking forward to my brother or sister. God knows it would be a wonderful distraction and it would help us all - well, forget." Peter paused for a moment, and Tony didn't look away. Everyone carried it very bravely. "But then I heard you. That mom lost the baby. Because of Mary. Because of me. Because I brought Mary back into our lives, I gave her a chance, I had contact with her, I talked to Beck about my life, it was because of me that mom lost her baby... I practically put a weapon in Mary’s hands..." Now Peter's eyes were red again, tears glistening in them. And Tony suddenly didn't know what to say to comfort him.

"It's not your fault, Peter, you're not the one to blame." Pepper joined them, and they both froze. "It's not your fault that Mary was spoiled to the bone. It's not your fault, that she was crazy and didn't care what she was doing. It would happen anyway; sooner or later."  


"But I'm so sorry, Mom," Peter breathed, getting up from his chair and hugging her tightly. She held him in her arms and closed her eyes as she stroked his hair.

"It's nothing, baby, it's nothing. It happens. We will not fix such things, we will not change the past. We have to learn to live with it and it will be good again. I want my baby boy to laugh again," she whispered, stroking his cheek. "Don't blame yourself anymore, honey. Life is not a feather."

"Didn't we suffer enough?" he sobbed. Pepper and Tony looked at each other and smiled.

"The main thing is that we are all together and fine. Come for breakfast," Pepper urged them both. "But I think it's best to leave soon and return home. The atmosphere here is starting to thicken."


	8. Chapter 7

They enjoyed the beach and sea view for another three days before deciding to return to New York. After all, Peter's birthday was approaching and they wanted to celebrate it at home. Plus, it was really great timing, because something as joyful as their son's fifteenth birthday pushed everything negative out of their lives. Well, at least for a while.

"Do you need help with anything?" Tony asked as he entered the kitchen and found there his future wife, who was finishing the final adjustments on Peter's cake.

Pepper shook her head and gave him a small smile. "I know you're a great mechanic, but baking is not your advantage and we don't have time to start baking a new cake."

"That wasn't nice of you, but it's true, so I can't be angry," Tony sighed, but he had a bright smile on his face. He left Bruce and Nat to finish decorating so he could spend some time with Pepper. During the holidays, he got so used to their home life that he couldn't imagine what it would be like when Pepper got back to work. Don't get him wrong, Tony supported Pepper in everything and was proud of how she ran his company, but he preferred to see her in comfortable home clothes and a messy bun. In short, exactly as he was seeing her right now. Finally happy and relaxed. It's been a nice change in recent months.

"Tommy and Brian aren't here yet, are they? I have to go change into something fancier than sweatpants,” she laughed, as if she was reading his mind, and hid the cake in the fridge.

"Not yet," Tony replied, checking the watch on his hand. "Which is good, because Peter wrote to me that he would be late. Would you believe that? He will be late for his own party! ”

"Um, you know what they say, the apple does not fall far from the tree," she teased, "besides, Ned and he haven't seen each other so long. They have to make up for a lot and it's his birthday. I still don't believe he's fifteen! Our little boy."

"You forget he's not just with Ned. What about the Jones girl? Do we know anything about her? Because I heard about her for the first time today. Wait, I've figured it out… They have something together! For Christ's sake, do you think they have anything together? Should I talk to him about bees? I-"

"Tony!" Pepper shouted with a laugh. Like father, like son. Sometimes she forgot that Tony could be as talkative as Peter. "I think if they had anything together, we would know about it. And how do you think you heard about Michelle for the first time today? She is Peter's classmate, he has mentioned her a few times."

"Well, when I was fifteen, I didn't confide with this to parents," Tony grinned, earning a slap in the shoulder.

"I don't want to know about it and don't take it personally, but I hope Peter won't follow you in this, because if he did, we would have to end it quickly. We will not tolerate it," she said quietly. She knew what Tony had been like, and yet she loved him, but she didn't want their son to be like that.

Tony hugged her and kissed her hair. "Don't worry, I would never allow anything like that. And I don't think we have anything to worry about. Peter is a sweetheart, mainly thanks to you."

"We both have the credit," she corrected him. She certainly wasn't going to take credit for Peter's upbringing. After all, Tony did excellently on his own.

They stood there in silence for a moment, in each other's arms, enjoying the moment very much. However, Tony had thoughts that he wanted to tell Pepper. The problem was that he didn't know how to express himself and was afraid it would upset his beloved. And he didn't want that, because she was in a really good mood today.

"Pep, love," he said hoarsely, swallowing hard. He knew that sooner or later she would know that something was going through his head, so it was better if he confided in her right now.

Pepper pulled away slightly from him to see into his eyes, indicating that she was listening.

"Peter is celebrating his fifteenth birthday, so I have to think about one thing. What if we, when things got back to normal when we were all really okay and in the right place, especially mentally - what if we had another child?” he said heavily, and immediately regretted it because he felt Pepper tensed in his arms and slowly pulled away from him. The room suddenly cooled and all the positive energy was gone.

"I have to go get ready for the party," Pepper muttered, turning to leave, but Tony grabbed her hand gently to stop her.

"Don't leave, Pep, not like that. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I… I just have to think about what it would be like, you know? And especially after Peter admitted how much he was looking forward to his younger sibling. I am sorry-"

"Please don't apologize," she sighed, her eyes closed. "I still have a picture of Peter and his younger sibling in front of my eyes, but at the moment it is not possible, Tony. It's still too fresh and I don't know if I could lose another child."

"Of course I understand that and I'm not pushing you with anything. Let's enjoy today's party and then start planning the wedding, what do you say? We will not deal whit what happens next."

"Sounds great," she agreed with a smile that was still a little sad, but Tony took it as a victory. Pepper kissed him lightly on the cheek before heading to the bedroom so she could finally change and adjust. She was sure Tommy and Brian would be here any minute, and she overheard Rhodey from the living room, which meant they only missed their kid and they would be complete.

Tony wrote a quick message to Peter stating that the stylish late arrival had its time limit and whether he moved his ass or he ate his cake before he went to the living room to join the others. But before he could greet Rhodey, the whole house shook with thunder.

"Pointbreak makes it after all," he muttered under his nose and went to greet the guest.

So, more precisely the guests.


	9. Chapter 8

"Well look at that, Rock of Ages is here. That's a real surprise," Tony said when he realized that Thor wasn't alone. Next to him stood his brother Loki, looking extremely bored. "And next time, Thor, please choose a door and not a balcony. Hey, you're missing an eye!" He suddenly noticed a dark tape.   


"The balcony is safer, if I wanted to get through the door, I'd have to break through your roof," Thor replied in his deep voice, patting him on the shoulder until Tony, who wasn't expecting it, almost dropped to his knees. "Yeah, I lost my eye," he said in a tone as if he was talking to him about the weather.

"And he destroyed the whole Asgard," Loki teased, earning a frown from his brother. He threw up his hands innocently. "What? I'm telling the truth." 

“Don’t say, you can do something like that?" Tony said, looking back at him. Loki rolled his eyes.

"He's right," Thor agreed grimly. "A lot of things happened. Ragnarok was inevitable. Asgard is destroyed."

Stark frowned. "Wait, you'll have to explain it to me better."

"Our sister Hela - whom we had no idea until recently, by the way - destroyed his hammer, and he has been a little depressed since then," Loki told Tony. "Her arrival is related to Ragnarok. She occupied Asgard while we were on Sakaar, trying to get out of that place. When we did, we had to deal with Hela, and she was responsible for Thor losing his eye. And Asgard is on fire.” Loki clasped his hands and then rested them on his chest, glaring at Thor angrily.

God of thunder sighed. "You know very well that Ragnarok was inevitable. In short, we will both have to stay on Earth for a while now."

"That's really a win," Loki said dryly.

Tony pointed at him. "Look, you asshole. No one's forcing you to stay here, so if it's not classy enough for you here, Rock of Ages, you can disappear again. I didn't take you down just because the kid likes you for some incomprehensible reason." 

Loki's face twisted, but he said nothing. Tony turned to Thor again, who looked exhausted. "So you have a sister who deprived you of an eye and a hammer? Damn, and we thought it was indestructible."

"Well, that's right," Thor said, trying to make a cheerful tone, which he didn't do very well. So he'd better turn his attention to the guests in the next room. "Aren't we late? Is everyone here already?"

"Well, yeah, we're just waiting for the birthday boy. Just come in, and your brother is welcome, too, if he's not going to turn it upside down here," Tony said, giving Loki a stern look. Thor nodded at his brother, and he rolled his eyes. You could see how he didn't like the idea of being at a family party, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"So let's join, I can't wait to see everyone again. By the way, Tony, would you mind if we stayed at the Avengers headquarters for a while? You know, before the situation calms down a bit," he asked.

Tony shrugged and motioned for them to move on. "Yeah, sure. Like home." Thor squeezed his hand gratefully, then went to greet others gracefully. He and Bruce hugged tightly, and Thor began to ask what the news was.

"Like at home? You shouldn't have said that. So that your noble mansion would not be reduced to ashes," Loki grinned before he, too reluctantly, went to join the guests, but sat as far away from them as possible so that he would not have to communicate with anyone. Tony didn't even tell him anything but he sighed and waved, and went to Pepper, who was checking if everything was ready.

"It's perfect, love. Peter will be happy," he told her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Pepper smiled broadly.

"I'm glad. So Thor and his brother? I had no idea they were coming," she said in astonishment, looking at him questioningly. Tony glanced at Loki, who was sitting in a chair with his feet over his feet, looking up at everyone.

"Neither do I. I wasn't sure if Thor would show up, but I never dreamed he would take him with him. Probably nobody introduced you yet, did they? Dear Pepper, this is Loki, the one who tried to kill me while sending creatures from space to us. And now I'm not exceptionally joking," he added quite seriously, and Pepper chuckled. "When Peter was little, he met him, and he must have somehow messed up his head. He's been a little crazy about him ever since, and whenever he meets Loki, he's on a branch."

"Well, you know, having superheroes in your family is a bit boring. He has to spice up his life and have a supervillain as a friend," Pepper said with a gentle smile and looked at Loki. "He's not really evil, or Thor wouldn't have taken him here."

Tony looked at her in disbelief. "Am I hearing right? Are you defending him right now? That guy tried to kill me, and if I didn't have a new improved suit, he would be successful!"

"I'm not defending him. I just trust Peter's judgment, and besides - Loki is Thor's brother," Pepper shrugged, then smiled. "That one day we're going to argue about something like that, I wouldn't have thought of that."

Tony grinned and raised his hands. "Okay. Thor may be nice, but that doesn't mean Loki is like that. Nor are they blood relatives. They adopted him! From what I've heard, he's a descendant of the Frost Giants. And they certainly won't be good."

"You don't choose a family, Tony. And given your complicated relationship with your father, you know that very well. I'll go get a cake, so get the candles," she asked, giving him a quick kiss before disappearing into the kitchen.

Thor was already opening a beer. "Hey, Tony! Where are Barton and Steve?" he asked. Bruce and Natasha exchanged a careful look.

Tony put his hands in his pockets and went for the candles on the table. "Oh yeah. I have no idea about Steve, I'm not in contact with him. I don't even know where he is. And Barton is enjoying a well-deserved rest with his family," he explained evasively.

"I'd like to see them again," Thor said, sipping his beer. And they'd heard two boyish voices discussing something in the hall. Pepper quickly brought the cake, and with Tony, they put candles on it and lit them. Just in time when Peter and Ned came in.

"Surprise!" They all shouted and began to sing happy birthday to him. Peter looked touched and exchanged a sly smile with Ned, who winked at him and then noticed Loki sitting with his hands on his chest and briefly nodded at Peter. That was already a gift for Peter.

"Happy Birthday, honey! Blow out the candles and make a wish!” Pepper urged with a wide smile and came to him with the cake in her hands.

Peter didn't have to think long. He took a breath and when he blew out all fifteen candles at once, they all started clapping.

_ I wish everything was back to normal.   
_


	10. Chapter 9

Loki didn't want to be here and didn't understand his brother's sudden obsession with dragging him everywhere with him. Yes, Loki didn't want to be here, but the fact that his presence bothered Stark improved the whole situation a lot. He could feel his gaze on him all the time, but he never turned to let him know he knew about him. He pretended to listen carefully to everything that was Peter telling him, when in fact he paid no attention to him at all. Young Stark probably decided to be stuck by his side the whole time and tell him every little detail of his life.

And as Peter spoke and spoke, Loki wondered how to have at least some fun. And as he thought about it, he got a really great idea. He took out one of his favorite knives and handed it to Peter, who paused for a moment, watching in amazement the ornaments on the handle. Stark would be furious, that was for sure.

"Wow, it's beautiful. It must be so old, huh?” he guessed, but kept his eyes on the knife. He had never seen anything like it. Nat had a few knives, but not even one was decorated that way.

"It really is and now it's yours," he grinned. He would miss the knife, but he had so many that he could mourn one.

“What?”

Loki had to chuckle at his incomprehension before carefully pushing the knife into his hand. After all, he wanted to have fun and not put on himself target for Hulk if he accidentally injured young Stark. "It's your birthday, isn't it?" he reminded him why he was here in the first place. He certainly wouldn't stop for a courtesy visit.

But before Peter could say anything, the knife was taken from him by Tony, who was really upset. "Are you crazy? Why are you giving it to him?!” he shouted at Loki, who was very pleased with his reaction. Exactly as he wanted.

"Just a little birthday present, Stark," Loki explained with a smug smile on his face.

Tony glared at him. He seemed to be ready to say him a few nasty words, but in the end, he just sighed in frustration and walked back to Thor and Rhodey. The Asgardian was slightly disappointed. It was less fun than he had hoped for.

"I'll get the knife back later. Thank you!” Peter blurted out with a smile before getting up and finally leaving him alone.

Peter went to see Tommy and Brian. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen them with all the madness that had been around them all the time. He liked the couple, mainly because they were the only people who were friends with his parents, without belonging to a secret corporation or one of the most powerful heroes in the world. They were just normal, and Peter liked that he could discuss things with them that had nothing to do with saving the world. Sometimes it was a nice change.

"Have you heard the news?" he practically yelled at them as he approached.

"Our birthday boy has finally made time for us ordinary people," Brian teased, giving him a hug, to which, of course, Tommy joined. They always hugged him together. It was nice.

"What news do you have in mind? Have you finally outgrown Tony?” Tommy asked as they stopped hugging. Tommy was always over the gossip and had to know everything first.

"No, but I'm close. Plus, we all know that outgrowing Dad isn't hard," he grinned and glanced around the room to make sure his father hadn't heard him. Everyone also knew that he was quite sensitive about his height - or rather not height. "Dad finally asked Mom to marry him, and she agreed!" he informed them with a huge smile on his face.

Brian stared at him in surprise, as if he couldn't believe his ears, and Tommy let out a scream that the room fell silent and everyone present looked at them.

"I'm sorry, but this little bat just told me Tony and Pepper are getting married! Congratulations, guys!” Tommy shouted apologetically, wiping away the tears that had found their way out. He had been working for Tony since Peter was born. They weren't friends then. But Tommy was the only one who could work with Tony and meet all his requirements. They became closer only when Peter was supposed to start school. At the time, he and little Stark ran a small fan club, speculating about how long it would take for Tony and Pepper to become a couple. It took them longer than they thought, but when it finally happened, Tommy took Peter for a celebratory cake.

"Maybe we should have a whole cake now," Peter laughed as if he was thinking the same thing as Tommy.

"It was about time," Brian said with a smile. He had known the Starks for a shorter time, but he too waited impatiently for the moment.

"I know, I know," Pepper sighed, suddenly appearing next to them. "I didn't want to tell you until after the party. After all, we are here today to celebrate Peter's birthday and not our engagement.”

"Are you crazy, Mom? We can celebrate it all together. We have been waiting for this for so long!”

"Your son is right," Tommy chuckled.

"I am always right! And now excuse me, I have to go save Bruce from Ned's questions," he said, giving Pepper a quick kiss on the cheek before walking to the pair. Today was absolutely amazing and he was finally starting to feel that it was all on the right way.


	11. Chapter 10

The residence of the Stark family was very large, spacious, and luxurious. The house had a lot of unused rooms and rooms, which served mainly as storage for unnecessary things, with which Pepper, who paid great attention to order and cleanliness, fundamentally disagreed, but could not do anything about it. Stark's mansion had never been very lively, as it had been in the Avengers tower, for example, when the team was still together, not disputed, and regularly fulfilling the missions assigned to them by Fury.

Pepper, Tony, and Peter often spent time together and loved their peace. They didn't need to be more lively here, but the three of them were quite looking forward to the idea when another member of their family would be with them, who would definitely make sure that there was a rather lively excitement at home. But it shouldn't be Mary who completely thwarted their plans and even forced Pepper to leave, and she almost didn't come back. When Miss Potts was not here, there was a terrible silence and emptiness, and the inaction and the everyday stereotype was killing Peter and Tony. Pepper was part of them. The two themselves were not enough. 

But with the sudden arrival of Loki and Thor, Stark's residence acquired two more renters for some time. No one now used the Avengers' headquarters when the team disbanded and Bruce and Natasha lived with the Starks. And Thor didn't want to live there alone. He longed for company, he missed the team. And when he lost part of his family, Asgard, he needed the Avengers' presence more than ever. Pepper generously offered to both brothers that they could live with them for a while, and Thor accepted her offer very enthusiastically. Loki wasn't so happy about it, and neither was Tony. He still hadn't forgotten the old wrongs and how he had attacked New York and nearly torn him to pieces.

"We haven't heard from Ross suspiciously in a long time. On the one hand, that's good, but I don't like his sudden silence. It's a bit like the silence before the storm. I don't like it," Natasha confided in Tony as they met one morning in the dining room for a delicious breakfast and a good cup of coffee. Tony pretended to read the newspaper, but in fact, he checked Loki, who was sitting on the other side of the table, and he, too, sipped his hot drink calmly and tossed his knife bored. And Tony didn't like it very much. He always tried to keep Loki under control, because he just didn't believe the man at all.

"Hm? You're right, I didn't even think to worry about it. I was probably so relieved that the guy stopped bothering me that I didn't even think about whether it was actually bad," Tony agreed, who just reluctantly shifted his attention to her. Pepper did some things to work, Thor went for a run, and Peter and Bruce were still asleep. Natasha and Tony always talked about things like that related to the team or their superpowers separately from each other. Tony has promised Pepper many times to try to limit his work as an Iron Man, and this time he intended to keep it. And Natasha didn't want to stress Bruce too much. But worries did not disappear even after Mary Fitzpatrick's death.

"As I say, I don't like it. Remember what Peter told us back then? How did Mary talk to him about doing some deal with Ross?” Natasha continued in a low voice. Tony frowned.

"The Secretary of the Interior wants to have everything under control," he growled unhappily, a wrinkle appearing between his eyebrows. "I'm sure the research she did that made Peter a boy with superpowers wasn't the only one. She wanted to give Ross people who are as capable as we are. Maybe even more capable."

"A new team. One who would listen to him perfectly and would not defy his orders," Natasha agreed grimly, drumming her fingers on the mug. Tony slammed his fist into the table, and Loki on the other side smiled scornfully.

"Damn Ross!" Tony snapped, then pointed to Loki as he noticed him grinning. "And you! Stop laughing!”

"I'm not doing anything," Loki said innocently. "Act like I'm not here."

Natasha watched him thoughtfully. "We need to find out if Mary forgot to hide or destroy any other data. Maybe we'll be lucky and find the answers."

Tony grinned. "Neither you nor I believe in such a thing. Mary was consistent."

"Yes, but you can see for yourself that she made a mistake in the end. At least we have to try. Better to get a job than to grope blindly in uncertainty. And Loki could also be useful to us."

Tony looked at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? I'd rather call Rogers than work with this psychopath!”

"Believe me, I'm not happy to work with you either, Stark," Loki said venomously. "But I'm at your disposal." Natasha nodded, acknowledging. "Unfortunately."

"I don't trust him," Tony shook his head unhappily and frowned.

"Yeah, but we all in this room know you're going to work with Loki eventually because you don't call Steve," Natasha grinned, and Tony had to agree reluctantly.

•••

It was a beautiful sunny day. Natasha and Tony were dealing with some things, so Bruce decided to go for a walk, breathe in the fresh air, and clean his head thoroughly. Peter had a meeting with Ned, so Bruce offered to accompany him for a short time. Plus, he didn't want to stay with Loki in Stark's mansion. The two had mutual respect for each other.

Bruce felt really good after a long time. He has not turned into a Hulk for some time, mainly thanks to Natasha. He was so grateful to have her by his side. He was always afraid she'd put it together with Steve. He was so masculine, strong, courageous, a mountain of muscle, he had a sense of justice, he was faithful and he had a good heart. And then there he was. Just Bruce. He tried to maintain his figure and condition, but he was rather thin, very careful when it came to establishing relationships, quiet, rather rational. He wasn't sure if Natasha longed for someone like him. After someone who simply has only seven doctorates, but hides a huge green monster inside of himself.

Natasha could choose any of them. Steve could be hers. But she chose Bruce, and there were still times when Banner couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe she could love such a monster.

Everything was beautiful. They painted a wonderful future together, even though life had put so many obstacles in their way. But Bruce was slowly beginning to believe that there was such a thing as fate. That he and Nat may have been predestined.

He thought so much about his girlfriend that he forgot to watch the way. Suddenly he crashed into a dark-haired woman who screamed and almost fell. But frightened Bruce managed to catch her in time, and when he looked into her face, he asked himself if it just seemed to him, or if it really was her. The woman stared at him in surprise, but then her lips widened into a wide smile.

“Bruce, is that really you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... What just happened?


	12. Chapter 11

Bruce looked silently into her beautiful blue eyes and vividly remembered the moment they had last seen each other. It's been so many years, and to be honest, he hasn't thought about a brunette for a long time. But now she was standing in front of him, and it felt like yesterday when they met in high school and immediately became friends.

"Um," he said vaguely when he realized she had asked him a question and he didn't answer it. "Yes, it's really me. But is it really you, Betty?” he asked quietly. They did not break up completely in good conditions. He was aware of that.

"Still the same Elizabeth Ross," she agreed with a smile and fixed her eyes on him, in which sparks of happiness shone at the moment. "When we came across each other, don't you have time? I'm just leaving work and I wouldn't refuse a big cup of coffee."

Bruce must have laughed reluctantly. It used to be their little tradition. Whenever they ended up in the lab, they found a nice cafe place and allowed themselves to relax for a while and not think about the research they were working hard on. "I guess I'd find some time," he muttered, and together they headed in the direction Bruce was heading before he bumped into his ex-girlfriend. 

"What are you doing in New York? I thought you'd be lost somewhere in the jungle," she said after a moment of silence as they just walked side by side and looked around for the nice cafeteria. Bruce wanted to object immediately, how could she know before he realized he had planned to travel to third world countries even back then.

"I've been for many years," he said nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "I was in Calcutta for the last time, but then…" Then an angel appeared, he wanted to say but decided not to. He didn't confide to Nat, but too often he remembered their first meeting. Something about her fascinated him right away when he saw her. She was so fearless. Needless to say, she was beautiful, Bruce wasn't blind…

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. We see each other after so many years, I understand you don't want to confide. Plus, you've never been an open book, so no change here. Anyway, I'm glad you're in town and we met!” she blurted out.

Bruce smiled slightly but paused for a moment. He was glad to see Betty again, but he would be lying if he said he shared the same enthusiasm as she did. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't feel completely comfortable in her presence. There were too many factors that could affect his feelings. It could be that she was the daughter of a man Bruce was supposed to avoid at all costs. At least he promised Natasha and he also wanted to keep that promise. He himself didn't want to be back in Ross's labs. Or it could be that the girl next to him was his ex-girlfriend. An ex-girlfriend he hadn't thought about for many years, but some of the feelings that were deeply buried were surfacing. And he didn't like it at all.

"This one doesn't look bad," he suggested as they walked past the cafe, which seemed calm and cozy, so they would have space to chat in private.

"I want the biggest coffee they have here. I'm completely tired from work. What about you? Are you working on anything right now?” she asked with a smile that adorned her face the whole time. Bruce didn't remember that she was ever smiling so much.

"I've had a slightly busier time now, so nothing interesting," he replied, glancing at the drink menu. He was trying to reduce his caffeine intake now because living with Tony was one giant coffee intake, and he felt he wasn't doing well. He was supposed to ease Tony's consumption, too, but he hadn't been able to figure out how to do that yet. "What are you working on?"

"Honestly, it's not fun. I focus on organic chemistry, but it's so boring! I'll probably start with biochemistry. I am now under the auspices of the US military, thanks to my father, so I can do what I want," she informed him.

Bruce glanced at her, wondering for a moment if he could hear well. This wasn't his Betty. "Are you working for Ross?" he asked a rather useless question. But part of him hoped it was just a misunderstanding.

"I gave it a chance. He's all I have, Bruce," she said sadly.

"I-I don't understand. You hated him!”

"We haven't seen each other in almost ten years, Bruce. Times are changing. You should understand me, you didn't have a good relationship with your father yourself," she breathed softly, staring at the drink menu.

It was a seemingly harmless remark. Harmless if you didn't suppress a furious green monster inside you. Bruce felt the Hulk try to surface, and he had to work really hard to keep him inside. "My father was a terrible man who killed my mother!" he said through gritted teeth. This was not a topic he enjoyed discussing. And Betty knew that very well. At least she knew before.

Betty looked up at him and noticed that his skin was beginning to turn green. She quickly reached across the table and carefully grabbed his hand. "Breath, Bruce, nothing's happening," she tried to comfort him.

They both remembered that it had been she who had managed to keep the Hulk under wraps. But that was no longer the case. Bruce closed his eyes and focused only on his girlfriend. And when he thought of moving to their own apartment at the end of the holidays and finally starting to live a normal life, all the anger evaporated like steam over a pot. Because how could he be angry when something so beautiful was waiting for him?

"I am sorry. It will not happen again. You'd better tell me about your adventure with the Avengers," she urged, and Bruce was happy to start telling. The Avengers were gone, but he had at least good memories of them.

•••

Natasha struck the punching bag for the last time before tossing her gloves away angrily and frustratingly stabbing the knife into the bag, from which sand immediately began to pour. The redhead watched the falling sand idly for a moment, but then walked to the refrigerator, where cooled water was waiting for her.

She was done. She no longer enjoyed the life of a soldier and a spy, but unfortunately for her, that exactly she was. Well, a spy, she wasn't a soldier, and she never will be, even if some people (idiot Ross) think that's exactly what she is. When Tony and she returned home, they were no wiser. They found nothing new at all, and it put her in a bad mood. But the crown of it all came from the fact that Bruce wasn't home when they returned, and Peter told her that he was with him for a while when he went to see Ned after lunch. Natasha was not pleased with this finding, as they returned late in the afternoon and she began to worry about Bruce. He turned out to be useless when Bruce showed up before dinner. Natasha noticed the change almost immediately. He was in a strangely good mood, and when he hugged her, her stomach clenched anxiously.

She was struck in the nose by a sweet scent, which was typical of sweeter women's perfumes. And she knew it wasn't her perfume, because she used rather heavier scents, and she also knew it wasn't Pepper perfume. She used a sweet scent, but she could never smell from her what she smelled when Bruce hugged her.

So, whose damn perfume did she smell from him?


	13. Chapter 12

“Pepper? Would you find a moment for me?” Natasha asked as she stepped into the living room and found Pepper on the couch looking at something on her tablet. A woman with strawberry-blond hair immediately looked up and rested her eyes on her best friend, who did not appear to be in her skin. That alone gave her wrinkles. Because Natasha was the type of person that didn't break easily. And if so, she carefully hides it inside of herself. Probably something really serious happened when it took someone like Nat. Pepper was a little worried about what was going on this time.

"Of course, sit down. Tony and Bruce are in the workshop, so at least they won't disturb us. Don't you want anything? Tea, coffee?” she offered her kindly, examining her carefully. Natasha just shook her head and sat down next to her, intertwining her fingers. She looked at the screen of the turned-off television and probably wondered how to get started.

Pepper moved closer to her and placed her palm on her knee. "Nat, I'm here for you, you know that. And whatever happens, we'll work it out together. We always solved everything, no matter how awful  it was .” Natasha turned to her and smiled slightly, which lifted Pepper’ s mood a little. For several months, Natasha had been her tremendous support, and Pepper was glad she could repay her now, though she didn't want Nat to be sad and suffering. She knew she had an unpleasant past behind her that she had never talked about. But whatever happened, she deserved to be happy, and Bruce was the one who would make her happy. Pepper would never have thought that Natasha would want to talk about him right now.

"Thank you, Pepper. You know very well that I am not the type of person to confide in anyone. But I have to deal with this, and I know that you will keep it to yourself and that you will understand me," Natasha began hesitantly, she did not talk about it easily. She didn't like to open up to people, she couldn't talk much about her feelings. After all, she was trained in something like this in the Red Room. Never make friends. Never fall in love. Never let yourself be too attached to someone because otherwise, you will never be an elite killer. Never bind yourself to anyone, there is no family here. Here you play for yourself. This is exactly what they kept instilling in their heads, and Natasha  holds to it for many years.

Until she met Bruce. Until she found Tony, Peter, and Pepper. Until she joined the Avengers. Until she knew what it was like to have a family. When you love someone so much that you would be willing to lay down your life for them, and who would do the same for you.

"I appreciate that, and I promise I won't let you down," Pepper told her, smiling encouragingly at her. "So, tell me. I'm listening."

Natasha thought for a long time about saying something like  that to Pepper. After all, it was still just her assumptions. But it had been bothering her for days, and she realized she couldn't bear it alone. That she needs someone to hold her. Just realizing this was a huge step forward for her.

" Okay . Well, it's been a few days since I smelled an unknown women's perfume on Bruce's sweatshirt," she told her straight, and when she said the fact  aloud , she was almost embarrassed. Pepper's eyes widened. "It can't be yours, and another woman doesn't live here with us. And Bruce… he's not seeing anyone but us, I don't get it! You probably understand that I've started to get a little worried about  him  having  someone else. "

Pepper hesitated in response to this. "What, Bruce? Are you sure? I don't think  he is that type of guy …"

"Right!" Nat exploded, looking anxiously at the door to see if anyone was coming. "It doesn't  seem to me either. He is not like that. At least I think so. But after this, I'm afraid I'll lose him. What if you really found another  woman ?  Back then he came back so cheerful… and since then he's in a really good mood. And I just don't know what to do, Pepper. I can't keep track of where he's going and who he's seeing. Or look at his phone, his emails. But what if it's really true and I…” Natash a was almost crying. And she never cried too much. But  just  the thought of losing Bruce was awful.

"Wasn't he just in a meeting? With old friends? When did he work in a lab?” Pepper tried, but she knew Natasha didn't believe it. She didn't believe it either. But what could they do? "You're right, Bruce is not like that. He is a cool man, calm, faithful, rather family type. But unfortunately, one never knows."

"Then tell me what to do," Nat whispered, almost desperately.

"We will wait. We will watch him. And then we'll see. You'll see it's a big misunderstanding," Pepper tried to encourage her, and Natasha nodded.

“Hopefully…”

"If you don't want to watch him yourself, I can do it," both of them suddenly heard a captivating male voice with an almost contemptuous undertone. It was immediately clear to both of them who it was. Loki. He stood in the doorway, looking at them with his typical grin on his face, and was eating a cookie.

"You listened to us," Natasha scolded him, and Pepper frowned slightly. 

"It's not my fault, I didn't know you were here. And how do I know that what you were talking about is top secret? So what, Romanov? Are you taking my offer? I have a feeling that if I don't do something, I will soon go crazy here," he sighed theatrically.

Natasha didn't think for too long. "I'll think about it," she told him, though she didn't like it. Does that mean  s he doesn't trust Bruce enough? If  s he can't trust him, how long will such a relationship last? Probably not for too long. But she was so afraid, and his good mood and that foreign perfume… God, why does  s he have to make such decisions? She didn't want to deal with anything like that. She and Bruce wanted to move into  their  own  apartment and live a peaceful life together without such worries.

"And please keep it to yourself," she asked.

Loki paused for a moment, as if still thinking about her words, but finally nodded. "Well, as you think. I will wait for your answer. But, if I may express my opinion, Bruce is, in my opinion, the type of person who is almost afraid to look in the mirror. And to lie to his girlfriend in the eye and cheat on her? It doesn't suit him, he would blame  himself and you would know it for sure. And playing with a woman like you? He could dig his own grave right away," he grinned.

“He has a point,” Pepper said softly.

Natasha frowned. "You don't know him at all, you can't have an opinion on this!" And she stood up angrily. Loki grabbed her wrist.

"And you know him? Probably not much, if you have doubts about him," he said quietly. Natasha pulled away from him.

"You can't understand this!" And she walked away quickly.

Loki looked at Pepper and shrugged. "Well, at least I tried."

"Mr. Loki, will you play Uno with me?" Peter's excited voice echoed down the hall, and Loki paled slightly. Pepper had to laugh.

“U-no? What’s that?”

“That just a game. You-”

"Peter, what I told you! That you should avoid that Rock of Ages with a big arc!” That was Tony. As if he, too, had a sixth sense for Peter to appear too close to Loki.

"But Tony, Loki doesn't do anything to him," Pepper reassured him as Tony joined them.

"Yeah? That's what you think! Do you know what he gave him for his birthday? Knife! KNIFE!” he repeated emphatically, and Loki grinned.

"It was in case of if he ever felt  un safe," he defended himself.

"Yeah ?!" Tony turned to him. "But now I'm the one who feels  un safe!"

“Would you like a knife?” Loki suggested generously, and Peter laughed.

"Nothing's happening, Dad, I can handle it, you don't have to worry about me," Peter reassured him. Tony put his hand protectively on his shoulder and frowned Loki with a warning look.

Tony pointed at him. "Do you know what Thor told me? That you're actually about sixteen years old on Earth, so you're still a child." He smiled sweetly at him when he saw that he didn't please Loki too much. "So I'd rather keep you under surveillance, Prince, because you're still little and defenseless because you don't have a knife."


	14. Chapter 13

Pepper sat on Peter's bed, going through weekly reports from employees while young Stark was preparing for school. The holidays passed too quickly and his school started tomorrow, which didn't bother him so much. The holidays were fine, but the school never bothered him. As one of the few, he looked forward to it.

"You'd better check everything twice, I don't want you to come up with a note the first day," Pepper said as she paused the tablet screen and turned her attention to her son. She didn't confide in anyone, but she was a little nervous that Peter was starting school again. In those two months, she had grown accustomed to seeing him almost all the time. She didn't know how she was going to handle it when she will not have an overview of him practically all day. 

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Mom, you don't have to check on me," he said, but Pepper knew he wasn't upset.

"We'll talk about it after you come, you've lost your backpack. Again," she smirked as Peter's cheeks flushed slightly at her words. He couldn't say anything to that because it was true. But he really tried not to lose them!

Peter checked for the last time that he had everything he needed before closing the backpack he'd left lying on a chair and going to sit next to Pepper. "So, Natasha and Bruce are really moving next weekend?" he asked quietly. Of course, he knew they wouldn't live with them forever, but he didn't expect their move to come so soon. He got used to them. He liked seeing them every day.

"I don't know, honey," Pepper sighed. A few days ago, she would have been sure that their moving was still on the plan, but after what Natasha told her, she wasn't sure at all.

"What does that mean?" Peter blurted out, confused by her answer.

"They have to work out something between themselves, and I don't know if they'll want to move on their own until they're clear," she said. "But you shouldn't bother with that, should you? And please don't ask them about it. This is their matter and they have to deal with it themselves."

A wrinkle appeared on Peter's forehead, but he nodded. "I promise, Mom," he said, but immediately gasped. "But they won't break up, will they?!"

"I don't think so," she tried to reassure him. But the truth was, she didn't know that either. She didn't think Bruce was cheating on Natasha, because he would hold her in his hands if he could. She hoped the redhead would keep her head calm and make no hasty decision.

"They are so happy together. When they first found their way to us, neither one of them was happy. Remember how Bruce didn't want to be near me, God forbid to be alone in the room with me? He was so afraid he would hurt me and I didn't understand. I was a child and I wanted to spend time with him. I wanted to show him that he didn't have to be afraid. But only Aunt Nat could show him that," he said absently, scratching the back of his neck. "Do you know what he once told me? That they became friends with Dad so quickly, not only because of their work but mainly because Dad was able to make him laugh. He never walked around him on tiptoe, he always made fun of him, like of everyone else. He was never afraid of him and from the first moment, he wanted to be his friend… I know this phrase sounds often here lately, but why can't we just be happy?”

"Everything will get only better from now on," she whispered, pulling him into her arms. She kissed his hair, and then there was silence between them. Pepper thought about what Peter had just told her. Bruce's words made sense. She remembered Bruce spending some time with them after the Battle of New York. At the time, she heard nothing from Tony but Bruce did that and Bruce did this. She wondered for a moment if Tony was in love with a scientist, but she quickly understood how things were. These two were brothers. She was never afraid of Bruce either, and with a calm heart, she would entrust Peter to him at any time. They trusted him. Always. But she guessed that Tony was the only one who really let him know that.

•••

Richard sat in an empty room. As he waited for the older man to join him, he wondered again how he had gotten into this situation. He didn't like it. He didn't want to do it. But he let himself be persuaded by the idiot, and now it was all up to him. It all fell on his head and he couldn't handle it. He was a scientist, damn it. 

The door slammed open, slamming into the wall, and a very angry Thaddeus Ross marched into the room. He didn't even bother to close the door again and he started yelling at him, which Richard was used to. Ross didn't do anything else.

"I'm running out of patience! You told me you could give me what I wanted!” he shouted at him. The dark-haired man was not afraid. After all, he worked for Mary. There was only one person who he was more scared of, and it certainly wasn't Thaddeus Ross.

"And I can," he assured him in a calm voice. He didn't tell him anything, that was all Beck, but he wasn't going to correct him.

"I want the name, Parker," Ross spat.

"I already told you, I don't know the name."

Ross stared at him for a moment before leaving angrily. Richard wondered if it wouldn't be better if he annoyed the old man enough to get his nerves up so he would kill him. He was getting to a stage where he really didn't know what to do and was going crazy. He looked back at everything Mary had done for her research. How far she went. He wasn't like that. Peter Stark was still a boy and he did not want to give him to Ross. But here was the apple of discort. He wasn't going to give him to Ross just because it wasn’t right He couldn't give him to Ross because he knew something else was waiting for young Stark. Something that will probably be far worse than Ross's labs. And so he wished someone would finally kill him because otherwise, he knew he would do whatever she wanted. All. It was his curse that came with love for Mary.


	15. Chapter 14

"You're kind of early today."

Pepper raised her head as a man's voice reached her. Loki came into the kitchen and looked at her questioningly with eyebrows raised. The woman sighed softly and tapped her fingers on the coffee mug she was heating her hands on.

"Peter went to school, so I wanted to make sure he had everything," she explained. Loki seemed to be listening in half, as he looked uninterestedly at the contents of the refrigerator, then closed it and sat across from Pepper. 

"Really?" His face brightened. "So there will be finally some peace!"

"Stop it," Pepper muttered, frowning a little. "I'm worried about him. It's the first time since... what happened that, that goes back to school. I'm worried about him."

"It will probably be a natural maternal instinct. "You feel your son is in danger," Loki remarked, folding his arms across his chest. Pepper was a little uncertain. Thor, and especially Tony, kept saying that Loki couldn't be trusted. But no one saw into his head and knew if there was anything he is going to do or has already decided not to make trouble. From all the conversations Pepper had with him, she decided he probably wouldn't be so bad. Strange, sarcastic, and poisonous, but he didn't make fun of them or endanger them in any way. Well, for now. In Thor's opinion, he's unpredictable in this, but he's getting a little predictable. At least to her.

"But Peter is in no danger," she countered, but she didn't sound too sure. Loki noticed and grinned.

"Are you really so sure?" he teased her a little. "If you're worried about him, then - with a lot of persuasions, of course - I can watch over him. And when he's in danger, I'll step in," he told her, pulling out a knife that he glanced on lovingly.

"You're really bored here," she said.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Of course, I am. What am I supposed to do here? Bake cookies?"

"And why not?" Pepper shrugged, and he stared at her. "Well... maybe I'll be calmer to know that someone will take care of him. At least now, from the beginning... just to calm my feelings."

•••

"Today wasn't so bad. It ran away pretty quickly, don't you think?" Ned asked as they walked to the lockers. "And the new chemistry teacher? That's a piece, isn't she?"

"Well, she may be pretty, but I won't get along with her," Peter grinned and began unlocking his locker. "God knows how it would turn out. At best, she'd like to kill me anyway, just like Beck did." He lowered his voice a little when he mentioned Beck. He didn't need his classmates to know the real reason he hadn't been to school in the last weeks before the end of the school year.

"Well, yeah, but it's still unfortunate, isn't it? He seemed so cool, and he helped you so much... You wouldn't think he was really evil," Ned said, and Peter closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't even talk to his best friend about it. “Luckily he was found dead. At least he won't endanger you in any way."

"Unless someone else shows up," Peter muttered, but Ned didn't hear him.

"And you didn't feel he was evil with your Peter-tingle?" he continued.

"I already told you that not. I'm not even sure if it still works. I haven't been using my skills at all lately and I don't even know if I still have them. I want to be normal..." Peter confided in him, a little in a weak moment, but then fell silent quickly. Ned looked at him inquisitively.

"Well, don't worry about it now," he reassured him. "We'll talk about the new teacher."

"A new teacher? Do you like her, Leeds? Or maybe you, Penis? She would really win with you two," Flash began to laugh out loud as he walked past them and heard what they were talking about. Peter looked at him hostilely, but suddenly MJ joined them and intervened.

"What, do you want her for yourself? If I was in her place, I wouldn’t even lean the bike on you," she grinned.

"And a girl has to stand up for  you! " he chuckled, but then walked away. Peter clenched his fists in frustration.

"Hello, losers," Michelle greeted them.

"Hi, MJ," the two boys muttered in unison. MJ then went to her locker, and Peter and Ned grabbed their backpacks and went outside.

"MJ is so cool," Ned said, and Peter had to agree.

•••

"I'm starting to get tired! He bothers me all the time, not only because of the project but also because he wants to know the name! Couldn't you just explain it to him? Or tell him to leave me alone that I'm just a scientist and I concentrate on my work? I really don't know how to answer him and how many times should I let him know that I have no idea! He doesn't like it and every visit is more upset. So you should kindly do something about it, you're the main spokesperson for the whole project," Richard said angrily when he was visited in the lab by a man he would definitely not call his friend. They only knew each other very briefly and not in-depth. Richard realized that he didn't really have any other friends, but he didn't regret it, it was safer and he was less worried.

"Calm down, Ross is just trying and he thinks we're stupid and we'll give him everything for free. No way. He can't get us out of here, because we're the only ones who can really tune his ideas to perfection. Without us, there would be nothing and he would have to return to those of his Avengers. Although, wait... they don't really exist anymore," the man chuckled. Richard sat in a chair, glared at him. "Calm down, Richie. Ross is no threat to us. He thinks we are his puppets, but in fact, it is exactly the opposite. We have him in our hands and we are not idiots like most of his subordinates. He has to treat us politely and not like some stray dogs. Because if he continues with this approach, we will turn it against him. And if he doesn't, we'll turn it against him anyway."

Richard sometimes regretted agreeing to it all. But what could he do? He was just like that. He'll just do his job and not get involved. Remorse? They must not exist. He is a scientist and he is needed. And some consequences must no longer be his concern.


	16. Chapter 15

For a long time, Natasha hadn't felt as miserable as she had these days. It cost her all her strength not to get into Bruce's cell phone and see who she was writing to. She knew that if she did, it would be the end of them. And she wasn't ready for it. She probably never will. She still didn't fully understand where all her affection for a somewhat clumsy scientist had come from, but she had experienced what it was like to lose him, and she certainly didn't want to experience it again. Not after finding out what it's to really have him. She spent a lot of time in the gym, trying to calm all her thoughts, but this time nothing helped. Her head didn't give her a second of silence, and she was already exhausted. She knew she wasn't the perfect partner for life, but she thought it worked for them. Didn't Bruce think that? Or was he just trying to back away from living together? She wouldn't have the answers to her questions until she talked to him, but she didn't feel like it. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was afraid. She was so afraid of what was behind his behavior.

"Here you are! Pepper gave us the boxes she had left after moving, so I started packing. The truth is, we don't have that much, so we don't have to hurry. There are a few days left until the weekend. But I thought it would be nice to have something packed to make sure it's really happening. That is not just a beautiful dream," he blurted out at her as she entered their room, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

Natasha examined him carefully. Bruce seemed, even more, looking forward to living together than she was. So what did he keep from her? What happened that he couldn't tell her about? 

"I adore you," she breathed with a small smile on her face. Maybe it was all a figment of her programmed brain. Working deformation. She was trained not to trust anyone. Maybe her brain was trying to find a problem at all costs when everything seemed to be too beautiful.

"I adore you too," he said with a smile and walked over to her so he could give her a quick kiss. Then they sat on the bed, and one look in Bruce's eyes was enough for her to realize that it wasn't just her brain. She recognized it in him. This was the moment when he finally told her what was different. What has changed. And she wanted to get up and run somewhere far away.

"Just say it, Doc. I know when something is on your mind," she said in a firm voice. She and Bruce worked on revealing their feelings to each other, but she certainly wasn't going to show weakness in front of him.

"I was wondering what I was going to do when we moved into our own apartment when you are Pepper's assistant aka bodyguard and I thought I could talk to her about me working at Stark Industries, but before I could do that, I met my old colleague and she offered me a job on her project. And I think I should accept it. It's exactly my field," he introduced her to his plans.

The redhead stared at him in silence for a moment, trying to absorb his words. She didn't like a few things, but she knew she had to proceed with caution. "I thought you were working alone. The only one you can bear by your side is Tony, who by the way has the same feeling."

"It wasn’t always been so. Betty and I worked together on a gamma-ray experiment," he explained, and Natasha's heart stopped beating for a moment.

_ Betty. _

_ Gamma-ray experiment. _

"Is that a good idea?" she asked, almost in a whisper. "What if something happens and you don't keep the Hulk under wraps?"

"Betty has already dealt with the Hulk. Plus, all I have to do is start thinking about you and the Hulk will calm down,” he said with a small smile, but Nat didn't register his last sentence at all, because she had too much work to analyze the first one. What was it supposed to mean that Betty had already dealt with the Hulk? Only she could do it with the Hulk, which led her to thoughts she didn't like at all. Who was this mysterious Betty?

"If that's really what you want," she smiled and stood up, "I still have to go talk to Tony about something." And before he could say anything, she left him alone in the room. Natasha knew that Bruce had no idea how she was feeling, but how could he if she hadn't told him. But it was okay not to tell him, it was her decision and the consequences go on her. Before she confides in anyone, she has to find out who Betty is and how big a role she plays in Bruce's past.

•••

Peter finished his homework and decided on a small snack. Well, in his case it was a small snack for other regular meals, but with his fast metabolism, he was so used to it that he didn't even notice how much he was eating.

When he entered the kitchen, he found Loki standing by the coffee machine, smiling suspiciously. It didn't take him long to realize that he had done something with his father's most valuable household appliance.

"You could be friends if you still didn't provoke him with something," he said with an omniscient smile and walked to the refrigerator.

"Hardly," Loki snorted, leaning his back against the table. He was a little upset that he had been caught in the act, but he knew that young Stark would not tell his father anything.

"Where is Thor? He always just flashes by here and disappears again," Peter asked. He ran into the black-haired Asgardman almost all the time, but he had not seen the god of thunder for several days.

"He's looking for a new place to live for us," he replied disinterestedly.

Peter was anxious for a few seconds at the thought of them leaving them too. Not that living with parents isn't great, it is. It's just that there was more fun when there were more people. Peter liked it.

"And he didn't take you with him, so you decided to follow me?" he asked as if he was asking him if he wanted to eat with him. Peter stuck his head out of the refrigerator and gave him a look, while Loki just stared blankly at him. His question startled him so much that he didn't know how to answer.

How was possible that he knew about him?


	17. Chapter 16

"I beg you pardon?" Loki tried to play it in such a way that he didn't really know anything and that it was Peter's imagination. But Stark's son grinned. 

"You don't have to do this, I saw you. Sometimes you wait in front of the school or elsewhere. Why are you doing this?" he wondered, but he didn't seem angry.

Loki scratched the back of his neck. "I was disguised," he said. Peter laughed.

"Yeah, but you don't just disguise your gestures, facial expressions. And you are very specific in this."

"I see you are very observant. Do you really know me that well?" In this, Loki finally showed his interest and talked to Peter without chopping or grimacing. Peter sat down at the table and Loki soon imitated him.

"Well, I wouldn't dare say that," Peter replied, intertwining his fingers. "So? Why are you watching me?"

Loki sighed. "Because of your mother. I promised her that I will take care of you and see that you will be safe. And at least I finally have something to do," he grinned and shrugged.

"Is Mom worried about me?" Peter said softly, but Loki heard him anyway. He nodded.

"Of course she is. She's your mother," he said, remembering Frigga involuntarily. He always admired her and wanted to be like her. She was a role model for him. Even after the truth about his true origins and the family came to light, he loved her the most. She loved him as much as Thor and often paid more attention to him than her own son. And even after all he had done on Midgard, she had not given up on him. She sent him food, visited him in prison. Then anger controlled him so much that he didn't even want to see her. He had to deal with the fact that he had failed.

He regretted his last words, which he shouted at her in anger. Malekith killed her a few hours after that. And he yelled at her. He hurt her. And he didn't apologize for it. He didn't have time to tell her how grateful he was. How much he likes her. 

This was the thing he regretted the most in his life.

"You don't have to do this," Peter said, his voice tearing the Asgardian out of his thoughts. He nodded.

"I know, but I promised your mother."

"Since when do you submit to others and keep your promises?" Peter asked.

Loki laughed. "Good question. I'm just bored here. I notice and I listen."

"So you're actually such an empathetic listener?" Peter teased him kindly and laughed when he noticed how the god of mischief tense looked. "Will you take action where it is needed? Like a superhero?"

"Absolutely not," Loki said, brushing an invisible speck from his black suit. "It is perhaps clear that in time I will benefit from this for my own benefit. Don't you want me to watch someone for you too?"

Peter scowled. "Probably not. But thanks for asking, I'll think about it when something comes."

Loki nodded and motioned for him to get up. "Hurry, we have to hide, your father will be here any minute."

"Ah, the coffee machine trick," Peter recalled, engulfed in conversation with Loki that he had completely forgotten about the coffee machine. One part of him wanted to warn his father, but on the other hand, he said it would be fun. And Tony can laugh to himself.

The two were hidden behind a sliding door and peered inside through a small crack. Peter wondered what Loki had done to the coffee machine but soon found out for himself. Tony did arrive shortly after, and he was still whistling cheerfully. Apparently, he was in a good mood.

He took his phone and unlocked it. "Friday, make me a tentative wedding guest list, be so kind," he asked for artificial intelligence, and he put the phone on the table.

"I'm preparing," Friday replied, and Tony opened the locker to take out his coffee mug. Peter remembered how his father had a mug with the Captain of America's shield as a child. He was a little sad that they still hadn't reconciled with Steve, and Rogers couldn't be here with them.

"It's coming now," Loki whispered, grinning. Tony chose what kind of coffee he wanted, but instead of making coffee, the machine snorted and growled and looked like it was stuck. Tony frowned and pressed the button one more time, and the next moment he tried to figure out what was causing the coffee maker to not work, he got a good coffee spray.

"Look how he stands there," Loki giggled. "But don't worry, it was cold water, not hot. I'm a good man."

"Are he fucking kidding me?" They heard the stunned Tony, with the coffee dripping all of him. He reached for a towel and at least wiped his face. Loki indicated to Peter that it was the right time to run, as the next moment Tony started yelling irritably: “LOKI! "

•••

Natasha went for a run. For the last few days, she had been so tense and now angry that she had to filter it through proper movement. When she is exhausted, she will be calmer. She didn't need her to yell at Bruce and say something to him in anger that she would later regret. And especially now that he should obviously have a place to go back. To his Betty.

She exhaled in frustration. Now she was a little sorry she didn't want to box because instead of a punching bag, she could imagine Betty's face.

_"Perhaps you aren't jealous, Agent Romanov?"_ She heard Tony's voice tingling in her head. But there was nothing funny about this. And Natasha promised herself that no one should know that she was really jealous of Betty. And that she's afraid she'll lose Bruce. That would destroy her.

She was used to hiding her emotions under a stone mask of indifference. But now it was so hard. Whenever she was alone with Bruce now, she had to hold on so hard she didn't show anything. To smile and pretend nothing was happening. And Bruce was obviously fine with everything! Natasha wasn't even sure now if she wanted to move at all. She had to find that Betty and find out something about her. How big of a threat will she be? What opponent will she be honored with?

She wiped away the tears that suddenly began to run down her cheeks. Build the wall. Build the wall. Lock your feelings. Don't be swallowed by them.

At the other end of town, the now-smiling Bruce  wrote to Betty that he would like to go out to dinner with her. 


	18. Chapter 17

Pepper hung up, and the office fell silent for a moment as she tried to sort out her thoughts. Her beautiful apartment with an even more beautiful view of the city was apparently hit by a flood. Her  _ penthouse _ . There was no rainy season in New York right now, which meant that someone had done it on purpose. And Pepper didn't have to think too long about who it was.

"If you didn't want to move, you could have said so. The apartment didn't have to suffer," she said casually, giving the redhead a look.

Natasha raised her head from the papers she was sorting for Pepper. There was only confusion on her face. "What do you mean?" she finally asked, very convincing, but Miss Potts had known the spy for a few years. And she didn't like what she'd witnessed in recent days. Bruce and Nat were due to move in tomorrow, and the redhead began to be withdrawn two days ago. To them all.

"It's not so long ago that you told me not to make a fool of you, and I'm asking you to do the same now," she said slightly sharper. She was worried about her friend. Natasha was a very intelligent woman, but Pepper was still afraid of her decisions. She wouldn't like to lose her.

"I don't do that," she replied in a firm voice.

"Do you think I can't see it?" she hissed, "Nat, please don't do this." Her anger mingled with despair. She didn't care about that stupid apartment. All she cared about was the woman who had become their family.

"Shouldn't I do what?" she asked, her voice still solid as a rock. That was exactly what terrified Pepper so much. All emotions were gone.

"Don't be the way you see yourself. Be the way we see you. I know it's hard for you, but there's no reason for you to hide your feelings. There is no reason not to have a family. And I know you're aware of that because otherwise, you wouldn't be here with us for the last few months. Otherwise, you would continue to travel the world and hide. Nat, don't give up, no matter what happens, we can work it out," Pepper insisted, but she knew she had lost this fight when Natasha stood up blankly.

"I need to get something done," she informed her and disappeared from her office before Pepper could try to stop her. She knew she was right, but on the other hand, she never suffered when she hid her feelings deeply buried. But now she was no longer alone and did not want to lose the family she had built with her coldness. That's why she had to visit an old friend. She felt he was hiding something from her when he sent her to Calcutta. There was no mention of any Betty in the file…

•••

The dark-haired man was sitting on a park bench, too preoccupied with his own thoughts to perceive the world around him. It bothered him how far he still had to go. And he wondered what end was in store for him. Quentin Beck had it clear, the death awaited him anyway. He wasn't so sure about young Peter. He knew that death would be considered noble by his enemy, so he was afraid of anything the young boy might encounter. And what was waiting for him? Will, he also be killed, or will he finally be freed from that labyrinth of suffering? But could he then even live with himself?

With a sigh, he stood up and walked slowly to the old newspaper box, which had not been used for many years. He looked around to see if he could see her somewhere. He wasn't surprised to not see her anywhere. She hadn't wanted to talk to him in months. And he wasn't even surprised by it.

He tossed a larger envelope into the box and, with one last look around, walked back to the labs. He suspected that Ross would soon honor him with his kind visit, and he must have given him some results. Whether he wanted to or not.

•••

"I'll miss this, you have to promise to stop by as often as you can," Tony said as Bruce and he took a short break from work. The mechanic immediately headed for the coffee machine, while Bruce took only water. He really should force Tony to cut down on caffeine.

"It's a matter of course, but since you started - I met Betty about two weeks ago and she offered me to work on her project," he informed him.

Tony froze and  there was darkness around him for a moment . "Wait, wait, wait," he began, leaving his beloved coffee abandoned. “Betty? Like that Betty? Like Elizabeth Ross? As the only daughter of that idiot Ross? Like that Betty?” he blurted out in disbelief. He knew who Betty was. He was probably the only one who knew everything about Bruce. After throwing his dark past at him, Bruce in turn entrusted him with his much darker past.

"Exactly that one," Bruce muttered, knowing that Tony didn't like it. "It's the only thing that connects me to my life before the Hulk," he explained defeated. They were well on their way with the greenie, but it was nice to feel like none of this had happened for a while. It was nice to feel like you weren't threatening anyone. And he had that feeling with her. She was his link to his old life. To the life of a promising scientist.

"What does Natasha say?" Tony asked curiously. He didn't like Bruce's idea at all, so he somehow hoped Natasha would forbid him to do it.

"She doesn't mind," he replied simply.

Tony glared at him. "You didn't tell her!"

"I told her!" Bruce defended. "I just might have missed the fact that Betty is Ross's daughter. Can you imagine that? I can't even almost go out anymore! And I get it, really, but I can't be locked up here from morning till night.”

"You have to tell her. Do you think she won't figure it out? We're talking about Natasha, for God's sake! Listen to me, it's a bad idea, but I get it. I'm just asking you to be careful and really make sure it's worth the risk,” he sighed and patted Bruce on the back. He knew how important laboratory work was to him.

"Thank you, Tony," he muttered with a smile.

Tony waved and walked back to the coffee machine. It wasn't until he indulged in the first sip of freshly brewed coffee that he realized another _ little thing _ . "Perhaps you should omit the fact that you dated her. We know what ex-girlfriends can do," Tony advised. Lying was also a bad idea, especially lying to Natasha, but he remembered what it was like when Pepper left him because of Mary and didn't want Bruce to have to experience anything like that.


	19. Chapter 18

"Tony can't wait to help us get the boxes away. He even suggested that he take his Iron Man suit to make it faster. But it is clear to me what is really behind it, he has not worn a suit since the incident and he is missing it. So, are you ready?” Bruce had been excited from the first sentence as he stepped into the bedroom he shared with Natasha. He found his girlfriend standing in the middle of the room, and at first, he thought she only had a nostalgic moment and needed to say goodbye to it all so she could take another step forward, but then he noticed the open boxes, the contents of which were almost unpacked. He widened his eyes and stared at her blankly. He had an unpleasant premonition and began to fear the worst.

She doesn't want him anymore. And right now she's about to break up with him.

“Nat? What the hell is going on?"

"I'm sorry, Bruce, but we can't move today. The apartment is not ready and it is not possible to live in it. It's flooded," Natasha growled, still turning her back on him.

"Oh no, that's a shame. I was looking forward to finally being on our own and just the two of us," Bruce sighed, but actually  was relieved . She still wants him! He came closer to her. She seemed a little upset. But it would probably be because she had just learned that they had flooded the apartment.

He put his hand on her back. "Well, we'll still have to wait. But you know what they say, it's worth the wait for the best things. What if we went to dinner tonight when we are off?" he suggested, though an unpleasant thought still raced through his mind. The one about Betty. He should tell Natasha about it. But probably not today. She's probably not in the best of moods, he doesn't have to worry her more. _ But what worries! _ he shouted in his mind at himself immediately. Nat doesn't have to worry about something like that. He and Betty are just friends and nothing more, he assured himself vigorously.

"I'm sorry, Bruce, but probably not today. I'm tired, "she explained, and when she finally looked at him, he noticed that she did look a little torn. He nodded sympathetically. "What about tomorrow? Would it work?" she suggested.

Bruce was a little uncertain. He began fiddling with the strap of his watch, then walked slowly toward the window. He wondered what he would answer.

What should he say? Of course, the truth. He won't lie to Natasha. She would know it anyway, and then she would never have to trust him again. And he didn't want that.

"I'll be honest with you." He took a deep breath to pluck up his courage. Natasha's worries gripped her and she began to feel uncomfortable that she knew what it was all about.

"I appreciate that. There should be honesty and trust in the relationship," she replied dryly, her tone uncertain Bruce even more.

"Of course," he agreed, swallowing blankly. "You know, it probably won't work tomorrow. I've got something on my agenda. Remember... remember Betty?" As I might forget, Natasha thought ironically, but just nodded. "Well, she suggested to me the collaboration on one project and we want to meet to discuss it a little more in-depth. A working meeting. You understand me, don't you? Nat, I can't be locked  here all the time , I need to do something too, or I'm going crazy," he tried to explain to her, gesturing wildly.

Natasha looked at him and suddenly realized she had no words. She would lie if she said it didn't hurt. But what could she do about it? She has to trust Bruce. It's definitely just a purely business meeting. She won't let her blow out her thing with Bruce. She has more aces up his sleeve. And she's also slowly scattering nets. No, if something breaks, she will prevent it from happening in time. Must. So mainly calm.

"Sure, Bruce. It is clear to me that this must be crazy. But please be careful. If Ross found out something or something happened and I wasn't..." Bruce began to regret not telling Natasha the truth about Betty being Ross's daughter from the beginning. When the truth comes out, it'll get worse... Damn, Tony was right. But he doesn't want to argue with Natasha…

She came to him and smiled at him. That reassured him not to tell her the truth for now. The smile returned, and she grabbed his shoulder and kissed him. He immediately wiped all thoughts from his head.

"I love you, you know that?" she whispered, and Bruce's heart sank. Damn, relationships weren't really easy. Natasha didn't say those two words often. Exceptionally, and it always meant so much.

"I love you too," he replied.

"I'm going to check out Peter. Will you unpack the rest of the boxes, please?" she asked him, and he agreed. She left the bedroom and exhaled for a long time. She had as much contradiction in her as she had ever been. Did love really confuse her so much? Is it simply a fluctuation between pain, fear, happiness, merriment, insecurity, and joy? Crazy roller coaster ride. It was definitely not cool. Natasha had the feeling that she wouldn't be riding, but that she was rather following the monstrous thing with all the people. 

Peter was in his room tapping something on the computer. Even though the door was open, Natasha knocked lightly. He looked up at the screen and beamed. "Aunt Nat!"

"Can I come in, bat?" she addressed him by the nickname Tony had given him as a child. Peter was probably too big for something like that, but all the adults had a time when they addressed their small — actually big — branches with diminutives and nicknames.

"You don't have to ask about that!" And he moved away and made room for her on the bed. Natasha smiled and went to sit next to him. "I'm just wondering if I can watch a movie. What would you like to see?"

"Something to distract me."

"Is something wrong?" He studied her. But she just smiled and ruffled his hair. "If so, you'll have to tell me. I'm not sure I can read people lately."

"You've always read better in me than everyone else," she told him, wrapping her arms around him. He snuggled up to her and a wave of love and tenderness swept over her. Damn, that relationship with Bruce changed her completely. She is absolutely soft! It would take some more action with the Avengers to get together. But Avengers didn't exist anymore. 

"You know I'm always here for you. But don't worry, Nat. Everything will definitely be fine now," he assured her.

She sighed inwardly.  _ I wish you were right. _


	20. Chapter 19

Tony handed Pepper a glass of red wine and joined her on the couch with a cup of freshly brewed coffee in his hand. She had just told him the news about their friends' relocations, and he decided she had a long day and a glass of her favorite wine would benefit her.

"Why would she do that?" he asked confusedly, though he already knew the answer to his question. It certainly wasn't just a coincidence. He was beginning to wonder if Natasha didn't know anything more than Bruce had told her. After all, she was a spy, and if she suspected, she must have found everything. And that wasn't good for any of them.

"Bruce and she have some inconsistencies between them," she sighed, drinking wine. "I kind of thought they would want to postpone the move, but I didn't expect this. I'm not talking about that stupid apartment, Tony. I just want it to be good between them again," she muttered, then snuggled up to him. She was beginning to understand what Natasha was going through when she moved from Tony.

Tony was silent for a moment, thinking very well about his next words. It was not up to him to tell his fiancé what was probably going on among their friends, but somehow he felt he had no choice. He would be relieved to share it with someone, and he knew Pepper wouldn't tell anyone.

"Bruce got a job offer."

“What?”

"He happened to come across his old girlfriend and she offered him a collaboration on a project. He didn't tell me much about it, but I could see how much he was looking forward to it. But the problem is who offered him the job. Betty is his first love and on top of she is Ross's daughter," he confided quietly. He wouldn't want anyone to hear him.

"I'm getting lost, some Betty is Bruce's ex-girlfriend and just offered him a job? After all these years? Doesn't that sound weird to you?”

"I know what you're thinking, but Betty never got along very well with her father, so there's no danger of it being a trap," Tony explained. "I think he really needs it, Pep. It's all he has left of his past. The only good thing.”

Pepper said nothing. She liked Bruce, but she didn't know much about him. He was never very shared about his life. Well, obviously except for Tony. Her future husband seemed to know a lot about the scientist. She didn't feel good about it, but she decided to trust Tony. She decided to trust Bruce. She had no choice. She just had to hope that it would settle between him and the redhead. They have never seen them happier. If she was to believe that some people really belonged together, it was the two of them.

"By the way, Friday asked me in the morning about my guest list preferences," she informed him with a smile on her face. With all the work she had and the unexpected situation of their friends, she almost completely forgot about the fact that she was getting married.

"I thought it wouldn't hurt to start planning. You're not angry, are you?” he asked, and Pepper looked at him in disbelief.

"Why should I be angry?" she asked a rhetorical question, giving him a loving kiss before he could tell her all the ideas why he thought she might be angry. "I would like a wedding in the spring and, if that is possible, only surrounded by our closest friends. What do you think?"

"You know I will do whatever you want," he reminded her with a smile. Mary was his first love, but he had never felt the same way about her as he had about Pepper. Little did he know that he was able to feel something so strong. There was nothing in the whole universe that he would not do for the woman by his side.

"I want that day to be just for us. I would like to keep it a secret from the whole world," she told him her wish. She knew it wasn't quite possible, but it was nice to imagine for a moment that their big day was really just for them. For them and their family.

"It's not exactly a simple wish given who we are and who our friends are, but I promise you, love, that I will do everything so that everyone else can find out about our wedding only when we want it. Therefore, after," he promised her. Anything for her.

•••

On Monday, Natasha took Peter to school and then settled into a small cafe in a quieter neighborhood of New York City. In the morning, she told Pepper she couldn't go to work with her today, and she didn't ask anything, which the redhead was glad for, even though she was a little afraid that Friday's incident tarnished their friendship.

Natasha was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the man coming. He tossed the yellow envelope on the table and sat across from her.

"I hope you're going to burn the file to ashes, Romanov," he said, giving her a significant look to tell her what he thought of it.

"It's none of your business," she said, her voice almost cold, and quickly took the envelope with her before the man could take it back. "You already knew then that I didn't work for someone who kept information from me. We both have problems with trust. Despite that, it wasn't the first or last time you didn't tell me the whole truth."

"It's not something you need to know. And I especially don't think you need to know now. You think emotions are your weakness, but they have never been. Do you know what your weakness is, Romanov?”

"Share with me," she said, not very friendly.

"You still live in the past. You can't let it go, no matter how hard you try. You are still a little girl who is in Russia and is trained to become an elite killer. The truth is, you never left the Red Room. Burn that folder and start living. It's time for you to live your life the way you want it, not the way others want it.”

Natasha rose quickly after his words. "Goodbye, Fury," she muttered, taking a quick step away. She was incredibly annoyed that the old bastard was right again. Why did he always have to know everything better than others? His words rang in her head all the way home. _Y_ _ ou never know.  _ _ You _ _hope for the best, then make do with what_ _ you _ _get._

But if he didn't want her to look at the file she'd asked him to give her, he had to know. He must have known, and the information inside was likely to shatter her image of a normal life alongside the man she loved.


	21. Chapter 20

Bruce hadn't seen Natasha since morning, and it made him quite nervous. He didn't want the tension between them, but he hoped he'd explained his reasons enough to her. She couldn't think he'd be locked up here for days! If there was at least something to do, eternal work in a workshop will get tired of time, unless you are Anthony Stark…

As he chose his clothes for dinner with Betty tonight, he wondered how he should convince Natasha that he had nothing to do with Ross's daughter and would have nothing. Should he have introduced them so she could see that Betty was really no threat to her? But he couldn't rule out the possibility that Natasha couldn't handle this situation in her own way. She could also pounce on Elizabeth and hurt her badly if she lost control. Natasha had never been so scattered before, and he had no idea what to do with it. And yet he promised Betty to work with her on that project of hers. She'll tell him the details tonight, so he can back off at the last minute if he doesn't like it. But the truth was that he was actually looking forward to embarking on something new again, in which he would be able to apply his scientific knowledge.

It's a pity they didn't get the moving done. Bruce was convinced that such a life event would help them get closer. Ever since they returned from vacation, it was far from as ideal as before. Before, Natasha was all smile, a good mood, tender touches... and now, as if she had returned to when the Avengers were a team and she, as Agent Romanov, was again a cold and withdrawn piece of impregnable rock. The sequence of events, though not nearly as threatening as they did a few months ago, did not help their relationship much. These were obstacles they had not yet been able to overcome. Now it was the struggles in their personal lives. And it was often harder than saving the world. For both of them, the relationship was still quite new and they both tried to learn to walk in it.

Their relationship was initially rock solid. After all, they didn't need to get to know each other anymore, during the time they worked together in a team, they learned to know each other and anticipate their next steps. This was necessary for their cooperation on various missions to be able to cover their backs. But now, with the advent of new, as yet unknown problems, the rock began to crumble stone by stone. The atmosphere between them was a little tense, the relationship more fragile. Bruce told himself to do something to strengthen them again. He doesn't want their relationship to be just ruins and dust. It was unpleasant that fate had not played the best cards in their hands now.

The first big test awaited them.

•••

"Are you sure you didn't confuse the wardrobe?" Peter didn't forgive asking as he stepped into the living room and saw Loki lounging on the couch. The god of mischief was clothed in clothes in which Peter could never have imagined him. Worn old sweatpants on his legs, a washed sweatshirt, a cap on his head and- his hair were tucked into a bun! Peter really had to hold on so he wouldn't laugh.

"I call it to camouflage," he replied in an absent tone, staring somewhere in front of him. He seemed to be absent-minded to Peter. And then young Stark cried out in horror as he felt someone's hand on his shoulder and Loki on the sofa disappeared. He looked back - the real Loki was standing behind him, grinning.

"Well, that was really good. But why on earth are you disguised? Is it supposed to be a joke  which you will pull out on my Dad again, and you wanted to try it on me first?" he asked suspiciously. Loki adjusted his tailor-made black suit, which he wore practically every day, and then put his sunglasses on his nose. 

Peter frowned. "Are you going to do security for Dad instead of Happy?"

"You ask a lot, kid. Whoever asks too much, learns a lot, and it will be better for your own good if you don't know anything," Loki instructed mysteriously, looking at his watch. "I'll have to go."

"Where? You're never going anywhere." It was all weird to Peter. But of course, Loki didn't answer. He just raised the left corner of his lip into a smile and then walked away.

The last few days the atmosphere in the house was different. Strange. Peter felt as if everyone had a secret, wondering if he should try to figure it out.

•••

"I'm so glad you came. If you take the project, you will make me very happy! Your brain is amazing and I know you have very brilliant ideas. You'd help us all a lot, and you'd certainly bring something new to it that would push us in another direction and help fine-tune imperfections," Betty said enthusiastically as she and Bruce sat down at a table in a restaurant. Bruce looked around a little cautiously.

"Thank you," he said, a little embarrassed, as he couldn't receive much praise and flattery. But he was always fine with Betty. "I must say I'm incredibly curious about the project. Do you have any details? You haven't told me almost anything yet," he reminded her.

Betty smiled mysteriously. "Well, I don't have too many details for you. But don't worry, it's not illegal. A lot of people from different fields work on it, and everyone knows only a handful of information, mostly from the part in which they participate. It's for security reasons; so that someone does not deceive us and attribute the project to themselves, and also so that there is no leakage of very important information. Even though you're signing a non-disclosure agreement, it's still not enough insurance, you know."

"That sounds reasonable," Bruce nodded, fascinated by it. He was looking forward to his task, and it would be such a personal challenge. It seemed like a very important project of enormous proportions, and he had never worked on something like that.

"I have prepared a list of what your task will be, and I also have a contract and enough information for you to work with. We study some things purely for academic purposes, which we do not intend to use, but rather avoid. You can come to my lab or work from home, but please always let me know in advance. You have as much time as you want, but again, don't take too much time. We'll want to see some results soon." She smiled encouragingly at him and brought a folder of papers to him. "And please don't talk to people about it too much."

"Sure, confidentiality. That won't make me a problem," he assured her.

She gave him a benevolent smile. "I knew you'd be perfect for this," she whispered. Bruce was embarrassed, so he quickly opened the  file and began to  read about his work.


	22. Chapter 21

The dark-haired man stood leaning against an old peeling pillar, watching with interest a bunch of people who decided to take revenge against Anthony Stark. He had been fascinated by technology since he was a child, and as a proud MIT former student, he had to admit that he was really excited about what they were doing here. He was just a little worried about how easily he had gotten here and that no one had noticed him yet. That wasn't very clever of them.

He walked slowly toward them, holding his hands over his head as a precaution. He didn't come here as their enemy, and he wouldn't want them firing at him with one of those alien weapons. He was sure that would be the end of him. He was halfway there when they finally noticed him and immediately aimed their weapons at him. He stopped immediately and waited for what would happen next.

"I'm giving you five seconds to turn around and walk away," Adrian Toomes said in a hoarse voice. According to his research, he was the leader of the whole matter and he needed to talk to him.

"I am not your enemy. On the contrary, I dare say that I am your fan," he said with a smirk on his face.

"Then I'm giving you five seconds to tell me what you're doing here," he told him with the same grin.

"I need a little favor from you. If you prove it to me, Secretary Ross may not even know what you're doing here. And believe me, he would be thrilled with your work. It's almost a shame you don't connect with him, but I understand. He's not my favorite either," he told them nonchalantly. He always was a bit of suicide. He has always been excellent at teasing a snake with his bare feet.

Toomes laughed in his face and his grip on the trigger tightened. "Why should we do that? I'll simply shoot you right here. Solved."

"Do you think I'm so stupid to just come here? Without fuse? It hurts, guys, it really hurts. However, if I don't leave safely, Thaddeus Ross will find out about you, so I would recommend you to accommodate me," he told them the facts. Nobody said anything about it, so he took it as their consent. "I'm sure you've heard of Spider-Man…"

"A little bit. Another idiot who thinks he's a hero," Toomes said dryly. They had not yet had the "honor" of meeting him.

"Sure, sure. The problem is, our spider has disappeared from the radar and I need him to get out of his hiding place. I knew him personally and believe me, the alien technology that threatens his city will not let him sleep at night."

"If you know him, what's the problem? Just find him, huh?” he remarked. To be honest, he didn't want to do it too much. Why should he draw unnecessary attention to them? But if the man in front of them did not lie and seriously secured his arrival here, he had no choice. After all, he had a family.

"It wouldn't work, no, no. I need you to do it and I need you to do it fast. Just lure him, that's all. And most importantly, try not to hurt him too much, I need him alive and capable of action," he told them the last instructions and turned to leave. "I believe we have an agreement, gentlemen," he added before leaving the old building completely.

•••

Natasha sat down carefully next to Pepper. She gave her a look and poured her a cup of green tea, but said nothing. The redhead knew it was up to her now. She thought about her old friend's words all night. Of course, he was right! But she has ended things in Russia once and for all. Right after she left Steve, she made sure the Red Room would never exist again. She ended it but didn't move on. She didn't do it because it was too real and she was scared. She was not trained for real life. What if it goes wrong? What if she does something unforgivable? What if she loses her family?

"I'm sorry about the apartment," she whispered, staring at the surface of the tea. She held the mug tightly in her hands as if her life depended on it.

"It's not about the apartment. It can be replaced, you can't," she said in a firm voice, keeping her eyes on her.

"Do you think I could go to work today? Officially this time? No more side doors.”

"Of course you can," she replied in a softer voice. Pepper wouldn't say it to the redhead’s eyes, but her friend looked awful. She had never seen Natasha like this, and to this day she would not believe that she would see her in such a state at all. Her skin was whiter than usual, and giant black circles loomed beneath her eyes. She was afraid to ask what had happened. And that's why she didn't ask. She knew that when Natasha wanted to tell her, she would tell her.

"I was thinking I could go visit Clint. I miss him," she confided to him.

Pepper didn't know exactly what had happened between them back then, but she knew from Tony's story that Clint's family was also Natasha's family. His children regarded her as their aunt, as did Peter.

"Sounds like a great idea," she agreed with a smile. She wanted to see her happy again. "Why don't you go see him today and you can officially start work next week," she suggested, and Natasha finally looked at her. And it was a really frightening sight.

"I can't just show up there! Not after everything that happened," she muttered, then took a sip of green tea.

"I don't know Clint so well, so I can't predict his reaction, but if we were in his place, we would be so happy to find you on our doorstep after such a long time. Maybe it will help you with Bruce. I also sometimes need to take a break from Tony for a few days, you know what he can be like," she laughed.

"I love him, Pepper," she whispered as if it were a big secret. "He considers himself a monster, but he is the exact opposite. He is so kind and always tries to help others! I don't deserve him.” Natasha didn't burn Fury's file, but she didn't open it either. It was in the past. And she really has to learn to live in the present. She has to draw a thick line behind the past.

"It's not like that, Nat. Bruce has eyes just for you, even a blind man would notice. You deserve each other and you will definitely have a beautiful life side by side. He'll understand if you want to go. He knows Clint is important to you."

"I don't want to lose him. I don't want to lose any of you."

Pepper got up from her chair and hugged the redhead as she always hugged Peter when he was sad. She let her feel safe. Feeling of love. "You won't lose anyone, Nat. We are a family and it will stay in that way."


	23. Chapter 22

“Are you going somewhere?”

Natasha turned to the voice, which she certainly didn't want to listen to now. She turned in frustration to see Loki staring at her with a raised eyebrow. She put her hands on her hips and looked at him questioningly.

"I thought you might want to hear the news," he said first when she obviously didn't want to talk. "At your request, I followed Bruce and found him in a meeting with a very pretty woman," he grinned.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "This isn't helping me, you know that, right?"

He shrugged indifferently. "I'm just telling you what I saw. They were talking about a project. No spark to see. At least for now."

"Stop it, or I'll  punch you ," she said in a sweet voice, and Loki smiled contentedly. He adored being able to provoke the other. "I'm going to see Barton. Don't you want to join?” she teased him.

"I enchanted him once, I enchant him again," he replied stutteringly.

Natasha laughed and shook her head. "Really? And with what? With your charm?"

"I'm god. Who would resist me?" he said cocky, but Natasha grounded him immediately.

"A mortal who uses his head at least a little," she said, then grabbed her backpack. "Thanks for the help, but I have to go."

"Where do you have to go?" Bruce suddenly appeared in the hall, looking at his girlfriend incomprehensibly. He pushed his glasses closer to the bridge of his nose and there was confusion in his eyes. "Are you going somewhere? Why didn't you tell me anything?"

"I'm going to see Clint, to find out how he is. And his children are definitely asking about Aunt Nat. I haven't been with them for a long time, so I have to make up for them. You wouldn't go anyway, you definitely have a lot of work to do. And at least you'll be calm like this and you'll really concentrate," she replied calmly, even giving him a small smile. She had rehearsed this before.

"I guess you're right," Bruce sighed, taking off his glasses to rub his sleepy eyes. He'd been completely engrossed in Betty's project for the last few days and almost hadn't slept. "But call me, okay? As soon as you get there. And we can call in the evening. And come home soon. We have to really make up for those failed evenings," he reminded her, and only the thought conjured a smile on their faces. Natasha leaned over and kissed him. This was the Bruce she fell in love with. Such was the beginning of their relationship. Now she felt as if she was really just going to see Clint, and she wasn't taking a short break with Bruce. There was no Betty at the moment.

Why did she show up right now? She hadn't made herself known for so many years, and suddenly she's back and she wants to see Bruce. As if the past really lurked on every corner.

And Natasha was terrified when her past would catch up with her again. And what life prepared for her again for the test.

•••

"Shall we invite Steve to the wedding, or not?" Peter asked, sitting with Pepper on the couch in the living room and wrapped in a blanket was peeking over her shoulder. She had an open notebook on her tablet and they put together a guest list while Tony made hot chocolate for them in the kitchen. Peter sincerely hoped that Loki had done nothing in the kitchen this time.

"I don't know, honey," Pepper replied with a sigh, muffling her voice a little. "I know Tony pretends he never wants to see him again, but he really misses him."

"The worst is when people don't communicate with each other," Peter agreed. "Sometimes the biggest problems arise when we don't talk and just make things up," he said and Pepper inadvertently returned a few months back in her thoughts. Peter was right. It is best to always solve problems right away before you lay down and start thinking and closing in on yourself.

"Well, the wedding won't be until spring, so they'll be able to reconcile by then," Pepper said hopefully, and Peter agreed. Maybe they will. And if he tried to help.

"And what if we sent Steve an invitation anyway? When he got there, maybe Dad would be able to talk to him," he suggested.

"Or he could leave too and leave me alone at the altar," Pepper laughed. Tony was a hot head at times and often acted impulsively. This was one of the options that could happen in this case.

"Who will stand alone at the altar? Perhaps not you? Who wouldn't want to marry such a beautiful bride? If I were a random passerby, I'd say yes right away. But luckily I'm your fiancé," Tony grinned, carrying two cups of hot chocolate. He set them on the coffee table and then sat down next to Pepper, looking at her tablet. "So what did you research?"

"We've investigated that we don't really know who to invite," Peter replied, then began counting on his fingers. "I'll be there, Nat and Bruce, Thor, and Loki—"

"No Loki!" Tony said sharply, and Peter began to roll dog eyes at him.

"But Dad! After all, he almost belongs to the family too! He lives here with us, he is practically an Avenger -"

"Avenger? He's more of an anti-avenger! And who brought him to the group?" Tony growled.

"Who said he was one of the old Avengers? What if there are new Avengers?" Peter replied mysteriously.

Tony paused for a moment, then raised his index finger. "Let me guess. You just made up for the new Avengers, because only you and Loki would be there." Peter just sighed and pursed his lower lip. Tony chuckled triumphantly. "You better not have any Avengers."   


"And then who will save the world?"

"So we're dealing with our wedding, or do you want to talk about banalities?" Pepper asked with icy patience, and Peter and Tony turned to her and began to name people. 

•••

"We have a new ally, so our project is finally starting to take off a little bit, you don't have to worry," said the tall man, who was making the usual visit to his superior, in a mocking voice. The slimy eyes he stared at him froze uncomfortably on the back of his neck, but the best defense is an attack. He won't let himself be driven into a corner to make the man feel like another of his cheap prey. He threw his feet on his desk and, bored, folded his arms across his chest to let him know he didn't care.

“Are you kidding me?”

"Do I look like that?" he replied calmly. Normally he wouldn't allow such a thing, but the man in front of him annoyed him. Besides, he knew he wouldn't do anything to him. After all, without his people, Ross would not have had his plan at all. "We should redefine the rules. I don't want you to shout and constantly annoy my subordinates who are leading and working on your whole project. I know they may be little idiots, but show them a little respect. Only I can yell at them."

"You're always gone. Plus, you use my labs and play with my equipment," he reminded him dryly.

"If you have a problem, we can pack up and go," he smiled devilishly. Ross gritted his teeth. Their roles were reversed and he didn't like it at all.


	24. Chapter 23

Peter slammed the locker door and cheerfully walked with Ned out of school. He was in a suspiciously good mood today. He was a little afraid of what would go wrong again, but he tried to push those thoughts out of his head.

"We haven't sleepover with Star Wars and Lego in a long time," Ned informed him as they left the building.

"That's a fact, but we'll have to do it at yours, it's weird at home right now. Your mom won't mind, will she? She surely misses me," he said with a laugh, after which his friend had to laugh too.

"No problem," Ned agreed, but stopped immediately. "I thought you were fine…"

Peter sighed. He scratched the back of his neck nervously as he wondered what to answer. "More or less, only sometimes there is a rather strange atmosphere. Nat left yesterday. She didn't even say goodbye!"

"What? But she always says goodbye," Ned remarked incomprehensibly. Peter once told him that his Aunt Nat (Ned was still amazed that Black Widow herself was his best friend's aunt) often disappeared, but that she always said goodbye. Always. "Wait, so is Dr. Banner has gone, too? Didn't you say they were moving?”

"No, Bruce stayed. They were supposed to move, but there was a problem with the apartment. Mom said they had problems with each other, but I didn't ask them. Nat went to see Clint, but she's coming back next week. I hope that then everything will return to normal. It would be about the time, don't you think?” he asked a rhetorical question, but Ned nodded anyway.

"So you're inviting MJ to the homecoming?" Ned asked with an omniscient expression, changing the subject completely. He was sure it would benefit Peter.

Peter felt his cheeks blush. "What do you mean?" he blurted out, looking around discreetly to see if the mentioned girl wasn’t nearby.

"Come on, man, do you think I don't see it? You like her!"

"That's not true. How did you come up with something like that?" he really tried to get out of it, but he knew in advance that it was in vain. Ned knew him very well. However, he did not intend to admit anything to him. He liked Michelle, so what! Everyone likes someone. It's just a silly crush that will soon disappear. Except it wasn't quite like that, but he could tell himself.

"Are we really doing this? Really? I know it anyway, you don't have to deny anything. When we met for your birthday, you shone like the sun when she appeared," he teased him, and Peter's ears were red.

"I think it's time for me to go. I'll see you tomorrow," he blurted out, waving goodbye before moving quickly home. There was not even time for their legendary handshake.

As soon as he turned the corner of the school, his sixth sense returned, which he had been trying to suppress for the last few months, like everything else related to his abilities. He lowered his head and continued on his way, but the tingling did not stop and began to change into a form in which it became almost unbearable.

So he reluctantly raised his head and began to look for something unusual around him that could awaken his sixth sense. And he didn't have to look long. The strange van, which was parked nearby, could not be overlooked. But it was still just a van, and Peter didn't even have his suit with him. Therefore, he decided to continue on his way home.

He wasn't ready to be Spider-man again.

•••

Tony was surprised when he entered the empty workshop. His best friend had barely pulled his heels out of the room in recent days, so he was sure he would find him here. But the workshop was empty and looked abandoned for many years. Tony decided to give Bruce space to do his research and disappeared from the workshop for a few days. He missed work in the workshop but at least managed to spend more time with Peter and Pepper.

He decided to make coffee and go looking for the scientist, but as it turned out, he didn't have to worry too much about the search, as Bruce was sitting in the kitchen with a cup of herbal tea in his hands and headphones playing classical music on his ears. Tony didn't know what to make of it, so he let the coffee wait for a little longer and carefully sat down next to Bruce.

"Aren't you working?" he asked curiously as Bruce took off his headphones.

"I'm not in the mood," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He really should have slept for a few hours, but that wasn't possible now that he was alone in bed. He missed his redhead.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Probably not, but thank you," he said with a small smile.

"I originally wanted to ask if you would watch my son tonight, but now I see it probably won't be the best idea. You should sleep.” It was strange. This was what everyone usually told him, and now it was he who encouraged others to rest.

"Why? You know I always like to look after Peter. Plus, I didn't do anything with him for a long time," said Bruce, whose mood immediately improved. Peter still insisted on watching his favorite movie series, and this would finally be a great opportunity. And a peaceful evening will certainly benefit Bruce’s family spirit. 

"I'd like to take Pep for dinner. But it's not in a hurry, you really should rest," Tony sighed. Plus, Peter was no longer a small child. He could have stayed home alone, but Tony didn't like the idea very much. Not after what happened with Mary.

"You should go. We will be fine," he assured him.

"I'll think about it," Tony said at last. He wasn't entirely convinced, but he knew he could trust Bruce. And if he told him they would be fine, they would be just fine.

Tony got up and walked out of the kitchen to leave his friend alone for the time he needed. But before walking through the door, he allowed himself another look at the man, who looked like a pile of misfortune and inadvertently remembered himself and how he felt when Pepper left him. "She's coming back, Bruce, it's just a friendly visit," he tried to reassure him.

It took him a few seconds to realize that he was trying to reassure himself too. After all, Clint was her best friend and was the first to give her family. What if she doesn't come back to them?


	25. Chapter 24

The red-haired woman stood vaguely in front of the door of the family house, suddenly hesitant to knock. Of course, she missed Clint, she hadn't seen him in a long time. The last time they had to fight together. But suddenly she had doubts about whether she should return. Her place was with Bruce. After all, she always solved her problems as soon as possible before they could grow. So why is she suddenly running from them? Is it because she doesn't yet know how to deal with things like this, and she's acting like a toddler trying to take her first steps?

Before she could decide whether to return or stay, the front door suddenly opened. Clint stood in the doorway, wincing as he found out who was standing in front of him. And then his typical smirk appeared on his face.

"Let's see. That's enough for you to show up," he teased her kindly, and when he saw that his longtime friend was about to fence, he quickly raised his hand to stop her and added the suffix: "I'm kidding. I'm glad to see you again, Nat," he told her honestly, and it warmed her heart. Clint was one of her closest friends. She remembered the fear she had when they found out that Loki had enchanted him. Tony once confided to Natasha that part of their team thought he and Clint had something between them. No wonder, they were an inseparable couple until she met Bruce. And until they had to deal with Ultron, no one even knew that Clint had a wife and children.

"Me too, Clint. I'm sorry I didn't show up before, but there was a lot of it," she apologized. But he just waved his hand over it, and then he did something that neither of them was too used to - he hugged her tightly. And Natasha suddenly felt safe again. Clint was her confidence. A man who's been through a lot with her. Her partner who won't betray her. Friends are what you have left when you lose love. And Natasha was conscious and moved at the same time. When she gets back to Bruce, they'll fix it. A break will only benefit them.

"Laura will be glad to see you again. I'm not even talking about children," he grinned as they let go. He stepped away from the door. "Come in. How long will you stay?"

"I do not know. It depends... on the circumstances," she replied vaguely. Clint raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any more questions. He knew that if she wanted to, she would confide in him on her own, or go to Laura for advice.

"Okay. I'd better make the bed for you," he winked at her, and she smiled gratefully. She heard a childish laugh from the living room warming her heart. She thought she was reconciled to never having her own children. She always made up for these missing feelings with Cooper, Lily, and now little Nathaniel.

She was their aunt Nat, and that meant a lot to her. They hugged her, they trusted her, they laughed with her. Natasha always watched her feelings carefully, pretending not to be shaken by anything. But they and Peter always found her tender, almost motherly side.

She knew that even Bruce couldn't have children. Still, she couldn't shake the thought that Betty actually had something extra and she didn't.

•••

Pepper stepped into her office, and at first, didn't even notice that something was different. She frowned at the papers she held in her hand, and when she reached her desk, suddenly someone turned to her in a swivel chair, she almost had a heart attack.

"Miss Potts, where are you wandering during working hours?" Tony asked in his captivating voice, giving her a staring look that made her nape tickle.

"You don't have anything to do again, you have to keep an eye on me, Mr. Stark?" she, too, asked him in a honeyed voice. Tony smiled broadly at her, then pointed to the vase on her desk, where a bouquet of brightly colored tulips stood out. This gesture, though not his first, still impressed Pepper a lot.

"I came to ask you out if you don't have anything tonight. But you don't, because I peeked into your diary," he replied himself, getting up so he could kiss his fiancée. Pepper sometimes felt like she was in a dream. The last few days, whenever she spent her time with Tony, she felt like she was living on a fluffy pink cloud, where everything was perfect. They say that falling in love lasts only a few months, but with Tony, she still felt like a teenager in love with her first love. Of course, they also had some crises, but they did not stop loving each other. On the contrary, their relationship was deeper and the bond stronger.

"I'd love to go out with you," she agreed with a smile, and Tony kissed her again.

"I can't wait for you to be Mrs. Stark," he whispered, wrapping her in his arms. He took her left hand in his and looked proudly at the ring she wore on her finger. When the wedding ring replaces the engagement one, it will be beautiful…

"I hope you don't suggest we get married right here and right now," she said with a laugh, but there was a grain of truth to what she said. Tony would be able to do that.

"That would be funny. But don't worry, I won't do it. Our wedding must be perfect. And we can't deprive others of it. They've been waiting so long..." he laughed, and Pepper wrapped his arms around his neck. He wiped his nose against hers and then leaned their foreheads together. "I love you, Pepper. I should tell you more often, I know. But you're the only woman I've ever felt anything so strong about. I want nothing more than to stay and live with you until death."

"Stop it or you'll make me cry. And keep something for the wedding vow," she whispered, but she felt tears in her eyes. "Give me a second, I'll go through these papers, and then I'll just focus on you. We'll go to a nice restaurant and have a nice evening."

"Let's not think about anything and not worry about anything," he suggested softly, and she agreed. They would set their own evening  just for themselves . "We're finally happy, so let's enjoy happiness when we fought for it so hard."

Pepper agreed. Luck doesn't just fall into your lap, you have to go to meet it. And when the moments come when you have to fight for happiness, don't give up, on the contrary. You can deal with such moments, especially when you have someone by your side who will not leave you alone.


	26. Chapter 25

Peter tried his best. This was a big moment for him. He could finally show Bruce what he is capable of. And he really wanted to show him that he was more than just an ordinary 15-year-old. The problem was that Bruce's field was chemistry and partly biology. And Peter could handle the formula for his webs, but that was the pinnacle of his knowledge of chemistry. He always aimed more at physics and mechanics. Just like his dad. And after learning about Mary's work, he knew he didn't want anything to do with biochemistry. No. He will continue in the footsteps of his parents. He will one day lead Stark Industries and give the world great inventions. 

"I don't know," he sighed defeated, curled up in a ball on the couch. He felt disappointed. 

Bruce gave him a small smile and patted him on the back encouragingly. "It doesn't matter at all. This was already very advanced chemistry. You did a great job. I honestly didn't expect you to know the answers to so many questions," he complimented him, after which Peter sat up straight and gave him a look of hope.

“Really?”

"Sure, you know I wouldn't lie to you," he assured him. Peter suggested that they test his knowledge, so Bruce asked him various questions. Question by question was, of course, harder and harder. They lasted an hour before Peter crashed.

"And what was the answer to the last question?" he asked with interest.

Bruce was  opening his mouth with the answer , but then he changed his mind and paused for a moment. "I won't tell you. You just need more time to figure it out, and when you know the answer, come see me and we can talk about it. And now Star Wars awaits us if I'm not mistaken."

Peter was looking forward to Bruce seeing his favorite movies. He couldn't wait to say what he would say about it, but when he looked at the man sitting next to him, the mood for his favorite movie series completely disappeared. When Bruce returned from Sakaar and got together with Nat, he became a completely different person. He was happier. More optimistic. And it made Peter very happy. Watching his uncle and aunt happy together brought a smile to his face every day. This was no longer the case, and his heart was pounding. He couldn't understand how the world around them worked. Were they each on the opposite polarity of the magnets? Was it that when his parents were finally back together, Bruce and Nat couldn't be?

"I know I shouldn't ask, but you know me. What happened between you and Nat?" he whispered uncertainly. He just needed to know. The truth was, he knew virtually nothing about their past. All he knew was that it was nothing happy. And they both deserved happiness. Why was it so hard to get it? Why was the feeling of happiness so fleeting?

"Nothing happened between us," Bruce replied incomprehensibly. He was very surprised by his question, but he understood where this feeling came from. He noticed that his redhead had been different in recent days. And he was probably the one to blame, but he honestly didn't know how to fix it. And now she wasn't here. He blamed himself for getting a new project, but he needed it. He welcomed the change.

"But Mom said you  have some problems ," he said, keeping his eyes on him.

"Did Pepper tell you that?"

Peter just nodded. Bruce fell silent. It may not have been completely rosy between them, but he wouldn't say they had problems. How did Pepper find out? Would Natasha tell her? But she wasn't the type to confide in others. But she wasn't a relationship type either, and they were here. Together. Did she think they were in trouble? But why didn't she tell him anything? Was her departure just a friendly visit? 

"We should watch a movie. I'm sorry I asked," he snorted and hugged him almost immediately and curled up beside him. Friday, meanwhile, turned on the television and launched The Phantom Menace.

But Bruce didn't focus on the film at all. His head was now full of questions he didn't know the answers to. Was Natasha going to leave him? Did she finally realize that life with him wasn't the one she wanted to live?

The thoughts weren't nice at all. And that's why Bruce was glad when sleep finally took over. He vaguely remembered wrapping his arm protectively around Peter and then drifting into the realm of dreams, where perhaps something better was waiting for him. Peter followed him after a moment.

And when Pepper and Tony returned from dinner, that's exactly how they found them. Sleeping in the other's arms. Pepper had a small smile on her face as Tony sighed. He was worried about his friend.

"I'm going to bed, I'm tired, and I'm having a hard day tomorrow," she whispered, kissing him on the cheek.

"I'll be right with you," Tony promised. He wasn't tired yet, and he would gladly welcome some time in the workshop, but after such a beautiful evening with Pepper, he looked forward to snuggling up to her in bed.

When Pepper disappeared down the hall, Tony quietly walked over to the sleeping boys. He took a shaggy blanket from the backrest, which everyone considered their comfort blanket, and carefully covered them.

He just hoped Bruce wouldn't have too much back pain from the night on the couch. And also that he will feel better tomorrow morning.

•••

Richard often wondered if they could be a happy family in another life. With Mary, whom he knew, this idea was absurd. But if there was a multiverse, maybe they were happy together somewhere. He could vividly imagine it and envied them very much. Family house in a quiet neighborhood. He and Mary are married and raise a daughter together who communicated the beauty of her mother and the intelligence of both. They have a dog running in the garden, which their daughter begged for. Every Sunday they hold a barbecue garden meeting, which is attended by their neighbors, their friends.

It was a beautiful life. But it wasn't his. He was a second-rate scientist who fell in love. In the end, Mary was right. Love was a weakness. Definitely for him. Because if he didn't love the brunette so much, he would never do any of that. Never.


	27. Chapter 26

"So how satisfied are you with the new one?" Betty, who cared a lot about her friend's opinion, asked curiously. She was actually her superior, but they soon became close friends, as on their project worked mostly men. But she was one of those who had the main say.

"What I'm going to tell you is no miracle, but he really has a lot of knowledge in his head and he's obviously hot to work, which is really commendable. It would be more beneficial for us if it weren't so narrow-minded. He closes his eyes to certain things, and that's a shame, because he has the head for it, and we would need someone like that. Good job, Lizzie, it just wants to push him a little differently," the blond-haired, pale-faced woman told her.

“Push him in another direction? Liv, you just said Bruce isn't stupid. If I suggested other options, he'd definitely put two and two together-"

"I thought you told him at the beginning that we were exploring other nooks and crannies for purely academic purposes," Liv interrupted, suddenly no longer a friend, a confidante, but rather Betty's superior, which, of course, paused Elizabeth. Liv didn't like it when something went wrong, when someone didn't work according to their plan, or when someone made excuses that it didn't work. She always answered with the same sentence that they apparently had not exhausted all possibilities, had not reached the end of their physical strength, so they could not claim that something was not working. Liv did not look like an authoritative person. But when she spoke, you knew that it was not advisable to play with her.

"I'll try to work it out," Betty said, lowering her eyes to her plate. Liv smiled almost motherly, then reached for her so she could grab her arm.

"It seems to me, Lizzie, or do you like the guy, don't you?" she teased her, and Betty's redness spoke for itself. Liv laughed. "I thought so. You know I don't want any relationships in the workplace between employees, but since he works from home most of the time and you're a charming woman in her best-"

"Don't bother, Liv, he already has a girlfriend," she told her unhappily.

"And you don't have any news on whether it works for them or not? Apparently, it's eating you out that you can't have him for yourself," she read her as if she was an open book. "Maybe there's something you can do about it. But think about our task, Lizzie, we need that Bruce, he will still be very beneficial to us.  And now excuse me, I have another appointment that won't wait," she told her, getting up from her chair.  She put on an autumn light coat and kissed Betty on the cheek. She left the lunch money on the table and then left the restaurant. A black car was waiting for her nearby. She climbed into the passenger seat and lit a cigarette. The interior of the car immediately filled with cigarette smoke.

"So, what news are you bringing me?" she asked her companion, who was sitting behind the wheel, clutching tightly, staring through the black sunglasses at the road and sidewalk in front of them. "I hope we will not have a friendly chat like last time," she said sarcastically.

"I talked to that Toomes," he told her, mapping the events in front of them with his eyes. "He didn't look very excited about it, and I'm convinced I'll have to meet him again. Apparently, he doesn't want to drill into anything, but he's exactly the type of guy who fits this job perfectly. I promised him some necessary materials that could help him catch our spider."

"Well, well. We need to track down the boy to make it easier for Toomes. I don't want any more complications, and without young Stark, we won't move much with the project. Richard found woefully little material from the past," she complained, but she still had the necessary perseverance and determination. She had to finish the project. It was her life's mission, and she didn't want to disappoint. "By the way, I hope you didn't talk to Toomes about me. I don't need to deal with another idiot, it takes my precious time and my brain cells die from it."

He laughed. "Don't worry, I know how much you hate this. What am I here from, right? You couldn't have chosen a better mediator."

She sighed. "You're right. I couldn't have anyone better," she repeated sarcastically.

•••

Bruce paced around the bedroom with the phone in his hand, wondering if he should call Natasha. In the end, he decided to  go for it , why not, and dialed her number with a pounding heart. He looked forward to hearing her voice again. But there was disappointment instead. Natasha did not answer the call.

The red-haired woman was sitting in the Bartons' kitchen, holding little Nathaniel in her arms, who rolled his big eyes at her. Laura watched her with a wide smile. "You'd make a good mom," she said after a moment.

Natasha looked up at her and stared at her for a long time. "I would be... what? Please, which child would want a female like me for a mother?  Killer mom . Agent mom."

"Don't judge yourself so harshly, you're not a killer. Agent, maybe, but isn't that great? What child could brag about his parent being an agent and a superhero?" She tried to encourage her. Natasha chuckled, then stroked Nathaniel's chubby face. "Tasha, I know something's bothering you, Clint can see it, too. You don't have to hide behind your stone mask all the time. We are a family. It's normal for something to bother you. You don't have to be afraid to show your emotions. It's not always a weakness."

"I guess I don't want to talk about it, don't be mad. I've dealt with this all too often in recent days. Do you know what I need now? Some real action. I don't want to summon anything terrible, but I know it would distract me. I would feel like I used to. I miss the Avengers, and even that moron Fury," she confided.

Laura looked at her. "Then why don't you call Fury if he doesn't have a job for you? I know that S.H.I.E.L.D. fell apart, but that doesn't mean there's no need to intervene. You won't pay anything if you try, and if you feel like it…"

"I don't know if I should play with my luck," she hesitated.

Laura smiled at her and stood up. She put her hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to decide now. Nat, whatever you're going through, I know you can do it. I don't know a bolder and stronger woman than you are. Even an impregnable rock can turn into brittle porcelain. You don't have to be ashamed of what you feel.”


	28. Chapter 27

Pepper was so accustomed to Natasha's presence in the office that she almost began to regret sending her to see Clint. But she knew it would benefit her friend, and she could do her job without her. It was just more lonely now, that was all.

"It's nice here," came a suddenly male voice, and Pepper jumped slightly. She wasn't expecting anyone here. "Within limits," he grinned, and Pepper didn't forgive the annoying roll of her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, standing on her feet in a second. "Nothing happened to Peter, right?"

"Young Stark is fine, you can sit down again," he reassured her. Pepper saw in his eyes a glimpse of something she had never seen before, but she still couldn't identify what it was. She couldn't tell Tony, but to tell the truth, she quite liked the god of mischief. Well, if she misses the fact that he tried to occupy the Earth a few years ago.

"So you're bored at home and decided to pay me a visit?" Pepper teased. She was used to his unusual behavior. In part, she was still wary of him, but she personally didn't think he would hurt them. But Thor and Tony kept saying she couldn't trust him. And inside her was a fight, because she wanted to trust him so much.

Loki paused for a moment. What he was about to say was not easy for him. But he has thought a lot about it in recent days and made his decision. He couldn't protect his own mother, but he would do anything to protect Miss Potts. "Thor has found a new place for us. New Asgard. Would you believe that? Midgard's place and it will bear such a name!"

"Oh, so you're leaving us too?" she asked a rhetorical question. It will take her a while to get used to the fact that only the three of them live again after such a long time.

"Perhaps you will not miss me? Don't worry, I'll show up here and there and play with Anthony a little," he told her almost mischievously.

Pepper shook her head in disbelief. Peter was right, if he still didn't do something to Tony on purpose, they could be good friends. "Did you come to say goodbye? I thought it wasn't you something you would do," she wondered.

"Not normally," he sighed. He had to come out with the truth. "You're an interesting woman, Pepper. I've only met one person in my life who was like you."

The redhead didn't know what to say, so she decided to be quiet. She knew that the dark-haired man – God - had much more on his heart. And she also thought that entrustment would not be his forte, so she had to give him space. She already knew that from Tony and Natasha. You could say that she was an expert at working with people who had trouble expressing their feelings.

"You remind me so much of her. My mother. I wasn't her biological son like Thor, but she still loved me. Your love for Stark's son is incredible. I just wanted you to know that if you ever need me, I'm at your disposal. I'm a god, as you know. Just pray and I'll be right with you," he finally said everything he had on his icy heart. Then he cleared his throat and his face took on sharper features again. All signs of emotion were gone. "If you tell anyone about it, I'll deny it."

"And I already thought you'd have to kill me," Pepper joked, not knowing how to handle the information he'd told her. Where did this sudden affection come from?

"Normally, yes, but as I said, you remind me of my mother."

Pepper wanted to say something about it. She wanted him to know how much this meant to her. To let him know that she had no bad opinion of him and that she would miss the treacherous bastard. But before she could open her mouth, Loki was gone.

•••

Peter had no idea how he got into this situation. At one point, he was on his way home, and for a few minutes, he found himself in this filthy alley. He really wanted to ignore his sixth sense, but this time it didn't work. Loki was no longer guarding him, and he didn't want to end up in the lab again like an experimental rat. He had to take care of himself and he had to do it now. And so, when he saw the strange van again, he decided to go find out if it was anything more or not. Delete the original sentence, Peter knew exactly how he found himself in this situation.

To his surprise, the car was empty, but his sensitive ears heard strange sounds coming from a side alley. He still didn't carry the suit with him, so he had to proceed very carefully. He looked around, and when he realized that no one was nearby, he jumped up on the fire escape and hurried to the roof, where he could move closer to the three unknown men, as he recognized from the beating hearts. The building was not very tall, so he had a good view of them.

The first surprise for him was that he did not recognize any of the three men. He partly rested, for now, there was a possibility that these strangers were not interested in him. This assumption was confirmed when one of the men began to show the other a weapon that Peter had never seen in his life. And that was something to say, considering that he was often in the presence of the Avengers, who had all sorts of weapons. It didn't take him long to put two and two together. These men were arms dealers. Peter was very sorry now that he didn't have a suit with him. Maybe he should call the police and the problem will be solved. After all, it was their job, not his. He was almost dialing the police number when an unusual blow came and Peter's phone almost fell out of his hand. He leaned across the ledge and was very surprised to see what happened. Where the garbage can have stood before, now there was only molten plastic, and the weapon the man held gave a strange purple glow.

Peter changed his mind quickly and took a picture of the three guys before getting up and carefully walking back to the fire escape. He wasn't ready for Spider-man, but once he started, he couldn't stop now. This was the neighborhood where he had school. What if something happened to someone? No, he couldn't let that happened.


	29. Chapter 28

Peter was returning home with conflicting feelings. One part of him wanted to figure it out and solve it, but the zeal to save and risk his life left him as soon as he returned from Mary's lab. As cliché as it sounded, then he really realized that life was a fragile thing. Then it was as if he had entered the world of adults. He was no longer as frivolous as before, and he didn't want to do anything without thinking. Maybe it was fear. As if there had been a block in him ever since. He last wore a Spider-Man suit a few months ago and hardly thought of it.

"Hello, kid, how was school today?" Tony asked him as he walked with a cup of coffee to the workshop.

"Yeah, it was fine," Peter replied, then added, as if incidentally, "Did my suit stay in the workshop?"

This was a sentence Tony didn't expect from him at all. He and Pepper learned that Peter avoided any superhero's action and didn't want to talk about them much. They understood him, and Pepper was really relieved. Since the team split-up, Tony has only used the suit in the most urgent cases, so it meant for her loved ones to be fine and not to pursue their lives all the time. She was always incredibly scared of them and sometimes a little mad about it. That's why Tony was suddenly surprised that Peter was asking something like that.

"Well, of course. I didn't even touch it. Why do you ask?" he asked a little suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing specific. I want to check to see if the piers have happened to be in it," he joked. "I haven't used it in a long time. Maybe I'll take a look at it, to remember nostalgically, and maybe I can think of some new adjustments, even though they would probably be useless to me now..."

Tony felt a little relieved. He, too, was worried about his son, especially when he didn't have him under surveillance and Peter wandered around New York on his own. After all, he was still a boy. "Sure. We can take a look at it together if you want," he suggested, and Peter agreed. They hadn't been together in the workshop for a long time, and Tony would have lied if he had said he didn't miss it. At least Bruce used to be there now when Peter had school and had to study.

"So is everything okay?" he dared to ask him as Peter pulled out his suit and piously stroked the spider in front of his chest. He gave himself time to answer Tony. Not because he remembered nostalgically for so long what he'd been through with the suit, but because he wondered if he should tell him about the three unknown men he'd thought about all the way home. And who were the only reason he pulled out his suit again after months.

"Yeah, everything is okay," he finally replied, gently placing the suit on the table. Tony had to smile. Peter liked his suit as much as he liked the Iron Man suit. Superhero identities were simply part of them and part of their lives. It couldn't be crossed out, forgotten, Tony knew about it, he tried many times, he swore to Pepper, but he missed Iron Man.

"Friday, scan him. And open the program and notes for me, please," Peter asked artificial intelligence and sat down at the table. Tony smiled broadly and his chest swelled with pride. Peter had a creative moment after a long time. "I want to check if there's anything damaged. And if anything comes to mind, we'll add it to our suits as additional equipment."

"Mom will be so happy," Tony chuckled but sat down next to him. "I don't know if anyone has already told you, but Thor and his brother are already moving."

"So there will be silence again. And when Bruce and Nat leave, it'll be dead here. Where is Bruce, anyway? He had barely peeked out of the workshop for the last few days," he said curiously, looking around as if he could see Dr. Banner at a computer studying a new project.

"He had a meeting about the project. So after a long time, he slept well again and got back together, a little," Tony grinned. When Natasha was there, she always kept an eye on him. Now Bruce was completely neglecting his daily needs. He'd slept for about five hours in the last five days, and he hadn't eaten properly. Tony understood him, he'd been through that once before. But then he suffered from nightmares and was afraid to fall asleep, so he always had to work somehow. Bruce was just obsessed.

"Ah, um... and you don't know anything more about his project?" he asked discreetly. Not that it occurred to him that Bruce might have his fingers in the unknown weapon he witnessed today, no, that would be nonsense… but one never knows. And Bruce was mysterious about the project and defended it by saying it's super-secret.

"That’s the thing, I don't know. I won't lie, it worries me a little. But Bruce wouldn't do anything illegal, he wouldn't do anything stupid. He's too smart for that," he assured himself and Peter. He trusted Bruce, he was his closest friend. But he was still worried about getting involved in something he wouldn't have enough strength for.

••• 

"I'm glad you're happy with me, I've put everything into it, and now maybe I'll get some rest again," Bruce remarked with a smile as he met Betty again after a while, who had only praise for him. She noticed how tired he was, he was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. Betty smiled. Bruce was so cute.

"You're crazy, it wasn't in such a hurry. On the other hand, my superiors are really excited about you. Looks like we gained a lot when we brought you on the team," Betty praised and leaned back in her chair. "Now rest and gain strength so that you can then show some breathtaking result again. I'll get back to you when I have a task for you again. So how else are you, what about your personal life, any girlfriend?” she asked him a seemingly innocent question.

"You know how it is, nothing special... just my girlfriend and I are a little rocky right now, and I don't know what to do with it," he sighed, then looked at her hopefully. "Couldn't you advise me? I don't understand women at all, and you are a woman..."

"Yes, but I've never had a girlfriend," she joked, and the two laughed. Then they were embarrassed and looked at each other. At the same moment, they remembered the time they were in love. Bruce looked away first. And Betty had the uneasy feeling that he really loved Natasha Romanov, and it probably wouldn't be easy to get her away from him, and Betty was beginning to worry that it wouldn't be as simple as she thought it would be.


	30. Chapter 29

Tony was furious. He stood on the shore of the lake, watching the calm water surface, hoping it would calm him down a little. Peter and he enjoyed it in the workshop yesterday, and it never occurred to Tony that his son would take his suit to school and then even go to town in it. Without him knowing about it! And he lied to him! After school, he sent him a message that he was going to Ned's house and would probably not return until after dinner, and Tony didn't find anything strange about it. In the past, Peter was at Leeds practically  all the time . But then Friday alerted him that Spider-Man's suit was active. And Tony immediately wanted to get up and go find his son, but he quickly changed his mind and decided to reprimand him when he got home. But before Peter could get home, the hologram, which showed his current state of health, flashed red. Tony swore that his heart stopped for a  second at that moment.

“And then he just, he just, like, swooped down like a monster and he picked me up and, uh, he took me up, like, a thousand feet and just dropped me. How’d you find me? Did you put a tracker in my suit or something?” muttered Peter, who obviously didn't know at all how bad this situation was.

“I put everything in your suit,” Tony snapped. He really needed to calm down before he could talk to Peter. “Including the heater, so please use it so you don't become an ice cube,” he sighed and finally turned to face him. His son didn't even realize he could die today.

“Whew, that’s better. Thanks,” Peter agreed as the heating started. The feeling of warmth that suddenly surrounded him almost matched his mother's warm embrace. But only almost.

“What were you thinking?” Tony asked grumpily. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't calm down. He was angry with himself. He should have known. He knew his son better than anyone. He should have known he hadn't asked about the suit yesterday just for nothing. He should have known, but he didn't know, and Peter could be dead now. He didn't have to get home today, and Tony had already experienced that feeling. And he definitely didn't want to do it again. Never.

“The guy with the wings is obviously the source of the weapons. I gotta take him down.”

“Take him down now, huh?” Tony snorted, he could be no more surprised. He had no idea what Peter was talking about, and he wasn't even sure he wanted to know. “Steady, little bat, there are people who handle this sort of thing.”

“You and aunt Nat?” he asked almost enthusiastically. Tony will have to put him back on the ground. He was also wondering if he should tell Pepper about today's incident. They promised to tell each other the truth, but he didn't want to worry her. She was already worried about their son so much.

“This is a little below our pay grade,” he informed him. “Look, forget the flying vulture guy, please.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because I said so! Stay close to the ground. Build up your game helping little people, like that lady that bought you the churro. Can’t you just be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? Do you even realize what happened today? You walked behind my back and lied to me. And it's not even the worst. The worst part is that you could have ended up at the bottom of that stupid lake while Mom and I waited at home for you to come back!” Tony was already yelling. He always tried not to yell at his son, but now it was just too much. He thought Peter had ceased to be so frivolous, but apparently, it was only a temporary situation.

“But I’m ready for more than that now,” protested Peter, who obviously didn't hear a word of what his father had told him.

“No, you are not,” he said sharply. He had to cool him down. He didn't want to take his suit because he knew what it was like to be without it. He understood that Spider-man was part of Peter and he did not want to take it from him. Not unless it’s necessary.

“That is not what you thought when I took on Steve,” snapped Peter, who was also beginning to get upset.

“For Christ's sake! If Steve wanted to lay you out, he would’ve. And believe me, I regret every day that I took you to Germany at all.” Tony rubbed his eyes wearily and took a deep breath. Things were much simpler when Peter was little. “Why not start focusing on things that concern normal people your age? You know, it’s never too early to start thinking about college. I got some pull at MIT. Or at any other university, you would like to go.”

Peter paused for a moment to reconcile his thoughts. He was upset that Dad wasn't listening to him properly, but he knew that at this point he could only make it only worse if he continued to do so. And he didn't want to argue with him. He hated it. "I chose the school a long time ago. MIT, engineering and management," he muttered defeated.

"These are two different faculties," Tony said in surprise. He knew that Peter would follow in his footsteps, but he had no idea that he would pounce on management. Although, he shouldn't be surprised, should he? Pepper was quite an inspiring woman.

"I want you and mom to be proud of me," he admitted. They did so much for him.

"Bat, we're already proud of you. We always have been. We're also proud you are a Spider-Man, but it has its rules. We set them right at the beginning. Stick to them, please. We don't want to lose you."

"I'm sorry," he said with tears in his eyes. Finally, all the adrenaline had subsided, and he was beginning to realize how catastrophic it could be today. That didn't change the fact that he would get the Vulture. He just has to be more careful.

"It’s okay. Not a word to mom yet. I have to think about how I tell her this information. Maybe I'll connect it to you wanting to follow in her footsteps, it could soften her, don't you think?” he asked with a small grin on his face.

"Let's just go home," he said instead of answering, hoping his father had time to call Happy. He was too tired to walk.

•••

"I think we already have the spider's attention," Toomes informed the stranger.

"Great job," the bearded man praised him.

"Perhaps he survived the fall, I flew with him a little," he grinned.

Fear flickered on the stranger's face before his features petrified, and Adrian knew he had managed to upset him. "I said I needed him alive!"

"Don't worry, I let him into the water. If he can swim, he's fine," he assured him with a smug expression on his face. He hated being in this situation, and the only thing he could do to make it better was to get the stranger angry for his own amusement.


	31. Chapter 30

The next day at school Ned soon realized that his best friend was not his usual self. In addition, he seemed to have thoughts somewhere else entirely, answering his questions concisely and without emotion, which was certainly not his habit. No wonder it started to bother Ned, and it made him suspect that something was happening at the Starks again. Whether it was in personal or superhero life.

"We haven't done anything in a long time, aren't we going to have a sleepover with the Star Wars marathon?" Ned suggested as they headed for the lockers after class. Tony was supposed to pick up Peter today, so they didn't have much time to talk properly. But Ned told himself that he would still try to use the short time and find out something. His friend was sometimes so stubborn and closed in himself.

Peter looked at him and the idea flashed in his head. "You're right, we haven't had a marathon in a long time. Listen, I don't want to sound like I'm using you or anything, but your offer is playing into my cards right now."

"That's why you're so stunned all day! Is something going on again, is there any action?" he asked, all excited. The fact that Peter was Spider-man always overshadowed all fears. Ned admired him so much and was eager to help.

"Something like that," Peter agreed, then lowered his voice a little, though there was a noise, screaming, and laughter in the hallway, and he almost couldn't hear his own thoughts. Ned leaned forward curiously. "I recently took a little action again that my dad shouldn't have learned about. But he put a tracker in my suit, so he soon found out that I wasn't with you as I was originally supposed to be, but that I was doing something on my own. And of course, he didn't like it."

"Are you surprised? He's your dad, and you've both been through a lot. But that doesn't mean what you're telling me isn't amazing. Go on!” he urged eagerly, and Peter had to laugh.

"My dad doesn't believe I can do such a thing. Not that I want to convince him of the opposite, and I don't want to get completely involved in something dangerous, but it doesn't let me sleep! It makes me do something and try to work it out. I'm a Spider-man, and it's my duty to help people around me," he said as if he wanted to defend it in front of himself, to gain some courage. Ned nodded in agreement. "I'll need help removing the tracker. Friday won't cover me, and it's clear to me that Dad will be watching over me now to make sure I don't really do anything. But I have to because otherwise no one will stop these guys and it will be a mess."

"And what are these guys? Any serial killers, criminals, to which an arrest warrant has been issued in 48 states?" Peter paused and looked at him with wide eyes. Ned grinned and shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's just fantastic. So.. tell me."

"They seemed quite ordinary to me, but with extraordinary weapons. It was like alien technology or something. And one of them, probably their boss, I met him and tried to get him. He has vulture wings, almost like a Falcon, but it's also much more dangerous," he told him. "I'm going to need you to cover for me and be with me at the line."

"But how do you want to find the guy? New York is terribly big."

Peter smiled mysteriously. "I have a tracking device. Thanks to that, we're tracking him down."

"Wow. So will I really be able to help you? And won't it be too dangerous? I wouldn't want to answer to your dad and mom... "

Peter patted him on the back. "Don't worry, we can do it together. Nothing will happen to me because I will have you, and you will help me."

"Hi, losers," Michelle greeted them in a typically bored voice as she walked past them to her locker. Ned grinned at Peter and poked him with his elbow under his ribs, whereupon Peter blushed, trying not to stare at MJ. 

_Why not start focusing on things that concern normal people your age?_ he heard Tony's voice in his head. Dad only talked about choosing a college, but-

"MJ, would you go on a date with me?" Peter blurted out, almost yelling, and then stammered. Michelle turned at him in surprise, Ned gasped and covered his mouth with his hand, looking alternately at Peter and MJ. Peter began to regret saying anything at all, because MJ just stared at him and didn't say a word, and he was already starting to think that it would be best if he just left and pretended that nothing had happened when she suddenly spoke.

"Okay," she said as if nothing had happened, and then she continued on her way to her locker. When Peter realized what that meant, he glowed like a moon.

"Peter! You invited MJ on a date!" Ned shouted in disbelief, placing his hands on his shoulders.

"I know," Peter whispered, full of euphoria and indescribable joy. But then he realized what that meant... and joy was replaced by anxiety.

God, he invited Michelle on a date.

•••

Pepper paced in the living room impatiently, glancing constantly at the wall clock. She knew Peter was picked up by Tony at school today, but she was still a little worried. What if their boy disappeared again? When Tony told her what Peter had done on his own, it threw her off. She didn't expect him to want to return to his superhero life so soon. She had to live with everyday fear again. No matter how hard she tried, she still couldn't get used to it.

"We're home!" Tony's voice said, and Pepper breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment, Peter stepped into the living room with a new backpack and looked at her guiltily. It almost softened her.

"Hi, Mom," he muttered in greeting.

"I'm glad to see you, Peter. Sit down, we need to talk about something," she said seriously, pointing to the couch. But Peter shook his head and said he'd rather stand up. Pepper started pacing around again. "Peter, you know very well that neither I nor Dad wants to restrict you in any way. But we promised ourselves that we would tell each other the truth, and if you lie to us about where you are and go alone, on your own, without anyone's knowledge, right into the clutches of some lunatics—"

Peter couldn't take it anymore. He was thinking of only one thing at a time, and he was really scared of it. He interrupted her and blurted out, "Mom, I invited Michelle on a date."


	32. Chapter 31

The room suddenly fell silent. Pepper stared in shock at her son, trying to process the information he had just spewed at her. At first, she thought he was just trying to divert attention from what he had done yesterday. That it's just his foolish attempt to avoid reprimand. But Peter wasn't like that, and when Pepper looked at him closely, she could notice how nervous Peter was.

"That's…" she began, but somehow she couldn't find any more words. "Unexpected," she finally breathed. She knew Michelle. She was Peter's friend, but she had not yet had the honor of meeting her in person. And their son never mentioned seeing anything more than a friend in her.

"I know, I know," he said, taking a deep breath. "I really like her, Mom! It's been so long and I still think it's just a silly crush, but she's so amazing. And yesterday Dad said that I should do things that other kids my age do, and she walked around today and I suddenly blurted out. I almost shouted at her! God, that's such a shame," he muttered in one breath and then fell on the couch. It was Dad's fault anyway. Until yesterday, it would never have occurred to him to asked Michelle out.

Pepper couldn't help but smile. The original conversation completely fell out of her head. And how not when her little boy fell in love for the first time. "I'm interested in a lot of things, but most of all, I'd like to know what she told you."

"She agreed! This is a bad idea, Mom. I should cancel it. I'll pretend I didn't say anything at all. I can't go on a date with her! MJ doesn't even date. She is an independent woman who needs no man," he muttered. She loved when he had no filter in front of her and told her completely about everything that was close to his heart.

"Please don't do any of this. You've already invited her and she agreed, so you'll take her on that date," she said almost sternly. They were already discussing it with Tony, knowing that their son was not the same as his father, but one never knew. "Besides, you like her, so what's the problem?"

"Did you listen to me? Michelle Jones doesn't need a boyfriend!” he exclaimed, frightened. Pepper had to hold back a laugh. She couldn't help but find it very cute.

"Um, it reminds me of someone," she whispered as if it were a secret.

At first, Peter didn't know what she was talking about, or rather about who she was talking about, but he didn't have to think too long to realize it. What he will tell you. His dad was Iron Man. He owned one of the largest companies in the world. He saved the world. He was a genius. But his mom? At times he thought that his mother was a goddess. When he was little, he wondered if she was not from Asgard like Thor and Loki. Dad always talked about being very lucky to have Pepper with him, which Peter didn't understand much as a child. He thought dad was amazing, so why wouldn't Pepper want to be with him? But the older he got, the more he realized it wasn't that simple. And that it's quite difficult with them. But Pepper? She loved them unconditionally.

"How did you know you loved Dad?" he asked curiously. He realized they had never talked about it. It just happened. They kissed on some foreign roof and suddenly they were together.

"The great thing about women who don't need men to live is that you know they love you. They chose you. I'm not saying I never dreamed of having a family, but I was more of a career woman. But that changed when Tony thrust you into my arms. He quickly became my best friend. I don't know if you remember, but we spent a lot of time together. One quickly forgets where their place is. That's when you kept talking about being a family. These were innocent remarks about me and Tony. And I liked the idea, but I knew Tony didn't want a relationship. Then he appointed me as chief executive officer of his company and I was happy about it. I really was. But that was the moment I realized that I didn't want to do the job if it meant wasting time with you. Time with my family," she finished, and she had to blink a few times to dispel the tears that began to press in her eyes. Even after all these years, she was again surprised by the wave of emotions that struck her during the story. She never thought it was possible to love someone so much. "I can't tell you exactly how you know you love someone, but trust me, you will know it."

"Are you looking forward to marrying Dad?" he asked with a smile on his face. To be honest, he forgot about Michelle for a moment. He was the greatest supporter of his parents and loved to listen to stories from his childhood. Stories of how much his parents love each other. He remembered how soon after he started call Pepper his mother, he came to see Dad and asked if he could have her last name. He wanted everyone to know she was his mom. At the time, it bothered him a little that they didn't all have the same last name.

"I've never looked forward to anything so much, but don't tell him that, or it will increase his ego," she laughed, reaching for him so she could ruffle his hair. Just like she did when he was little. He was a superhero, but she still couldn't believe he was old enough to start dating. Why do children have to grow up so fast?

"Are you all right?" Tony asked, walking slowly into the living room. He was afraid the two would argue, so he stood nearby the whole time, but not too close to give them privacy. He said his yesterday.

"Of course, Peter has learned his lesson and promised to never do anything like that again," Pepper said almost immediately, throwing a professional smile, giving Peter a significant look. She had completely forgotten what their whole conversation had begun, and she had to make sure that their son didn't think of such a thing again.

"Exactly," Peter agreed. It wasn't entirely true, but he was sure that his next possible escapades would not come out. He will be very careful.

"But I think he needs to spend more time with his mommy," she said, pulling him into her arms. "Would you be from that love and make us your delicious hot chocolate?"

"What would I not do for you two," Tony snorted, but a smile gripped his face.

"And don't forget the marshmallows!" Peter shouted at him as he snuggled up to Pepper. He was grateful she hadn't told Dad about Michelle, because Tony would just tease him.


	33. Chapter 32

The week she had spent with the Bartons was slowly coming to an end. And to be honest, Natasha was actually quite happy about that. Not that she didn't like it at their home. Laura helped her a lot and it was amazing to see Clint again and talk to him properly. And the children made her very happy. They missed Aunt Nat.

Natasha would lie if she said she didn't miss Starks and Bruce. She did miss them. Although she was in daily contact with Pepper and Peter, and she spoke to Bruce here and there, she realized that a simple telephone conversation was not enough for her. She was so accustomed to their presence that she now lacked them essentially. Years ago, when she did not yet know the Starks, she would have dealt with something very easily. At that time, she had no problem establishing a short bond with someone and then, even without saying goodbye, disappearing, drawing a thick line behind everything, and never coming back, not answering. But, as Pepper once said, she only knew what a real family was when she met them.

"So moron Stark still hasn't called the Captain," Clint said casually as he entered the guest room which was occupied by Natasha that week. He was the closest of the entire Avengers team to her and Wanda, not because they were women. But because they experienced certain things together that brought them closer.

"Don't just throw it at Stark, Steve didn't call him either. I understand both of them, I really do. But they could stop and finally reconcile. It's been too long. I miss some action and our team," she told him and sat down on the bed.

Clint grinned. "Except for Steve and me, you have everyone from the team in one house, if I count our original six. If you miss any action, let Fury know. He will definitely be excited."

"You and Laura really get along. I'll consider it again. Maybe I should stay at home. I already know where my place is."

"Did Natasha Romanov decide to settle down?" he teased her and went to sit next to her. She slapped him on the shoulder. "It's weird anyway. The last time we were here was when we had to fight Ultron."

"As if it had just started all the problems," Natasha sighed. Loki's invasion of New York was their first real mission, and then they all looked at them as heroes at the fact that the city had been destroyed. "So many things have happened here..." And she remembered how she had shown her feelings to Bruce here. It seemed so long ago. And where were they now…

"You're right. Well, I understand you need to go back to your family. After all, I'm no different. It's weird anyway, isn't it? Where we all got to. Stark has an almost grown son and is getting married. Thor has short hair and one eye and wants to settle on Earth. I have a family that I kept secret from you for as long as I could. And you and Bruce got together. The only one we don't know anything about right now is Steve. Maybe he settled down too, although he told us all that his values were somewhere else than before. But that's what we all were saying. That we don't want to be tied down and that we're not family types. And look where we are now."

Clint summed it up perfectly. Suddenly Natasha couldn't wait to be back home.

•••

"So how much longer do you think I should wait?" Thaddeus Ross was already considerably impatient. A new obedient team with superpowers to replace the Avengers and obey his orders was promised to him at the time before Mary Fitzpatrick, who sponsored the project, died. However, several months had passed since then, and it seemed that the workers had practically not moved and got stuck in a stalemate.

"You have to be patient, after all, there is only one of Miss Fitzpatrick's original staff left who cared only about the most primitive things... the new ones have to learn, delve deeper into those notes, and you must not forget that a lot of important research has been lost forever. And they are very difficult to replace. Even with what they had, they started from practically zero, and that's why it cost them a lot of trouble," he explained, almost bored, looking out the window at the busy street.

"Yes, but you are still not one step closer to the final result. By this time, I was supposed to have my promised invincible team," snarled the ambitious Ross. A wandering smile ran across the face of the man with the long brown hair. He had nothing to do with the project being challenging and apparently unmanaged. However, he now took it to his advantage.

"I do not refute your claim, but you are certainly forgiving and you will understand. Miss Fitzpatrick's death is not our fault. She led the whole project and worked on it practically alone, she knew what situations could slow her down, so she had an advantage over us-"

“Yes, and she was practically alone in the whole project! And she went further and faster than the famous team you promised me wouldn't disappoint me!" Ross thundered and almost jumped out of his chair. His companion didn't even raise an eyebrow. He was more amused by the whole situation.

"They don't have the experience of her. And as I said, we lack a lot of materials and notes. You have to fill in the blanks first so that it all goes according to plan and you don't have to wait any longer," he said mischievously. "I'm sure they're doing what they can. You have to understand that this is a very challenging project." Ross grunted and waved toward the door, signaling the man to leave. He ironically wished him a nice day and disappeared. He took a deep breath in the hall and rolled his eyes.

"How I hate this guy," he growled in frustration as he joined his companion, who was already waiting for him, searching for something on her phone.

"I hate him more. That's exactly why you're dealing with him and not me. Plus, you'll get from anything with that big mouth of yours," she grinned at him. "What about Toomes? Any news?"

"Nothing to please you. Apparently, he's an idiot who completely ignores orders, but we need him. He has to bring us Stark. Without him, the project will not work."

"Sure, we need him for the project. But I need him, too, for my personal reasons," she growled, clenching her fists. "Peter Stark isn't very different from Tony and Pepper. He robbed me of everything. And he'll pay for it."


	34. Chapter 33

“Peter, why are we removing the tracker from your suit,” Ned asked, slightly nervous. He was excited to be able to help his friend, but he was also quite scared of what awaited him when his dad found out. Both boys believed Tony wouldn't know, but they both subconsciously knew it wasn't quite possible.

“Uh, I already told you, Ned. I gotta follow these guys to their boss before they move again and I don’t really want Dad to know about it. Although it may not be needed at all. I've been watching them for the last few days, don't be afraid, from a reasonable distance, and yesterday I heard him talk about being in Washington next week," he informed him. He couldn't believe his luck. The following week, their team headed to Washington for a knowledge decathlon. It was his unique chance.

Ned said nothing. He knew Peter well enough to know that he was determined to intervene and would not change his mind. But he really didn't like it at all. What if something goes wrong and their classmates find out the truth about him?

“There’s a ton of other subsystems in here but something is blocking them,” he muttered absently as he ran through the coding of Peter's suit. This was a complete Christmas for him. He could learn so much from reading codes not written by anyone other than Anthony Stark himself.

"Can you find out what?"

“It’s already happened,” Ned laughed, “Training Wheels Protocol.”

Peter frowned while Ned still laughed. "That's all my dad. Turn it off," he said thoughtlessly.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean, they’re probably blocked for a reason,” he said, and he certainly wasn't laughing anymore. Peter said he wanted to do better. Safer. But this didn't seem safe to him, and it seemed to him that his best friend was beginning to act headlong again.

“Come on, man. I don’t need training wheels,” Peter groaned and jumped angrily on the bed. He was frustrated that Dad had done this to him. But he understood. He really did. The problem was that if he was to stand up to Vulture, he had to have all the means to do so. Plus, he wasn't a baby anymore. He needed his parents to trust him more. “I’m sick of him treating me like a kid all the time. It’s not cool.”

“But you are a kid. You were kidnapped by your biological mom who wanted to experiment with you! What do you expect him to do? If it were me, my parents would never let me out of the house again.”

Peter sat on the bed. Ned's remark about Mary was not very tactful, and he didn't want to let anything show, so he decided to ignore it. “Yeah, a kid who can stop a bus with his bare hands.”

“Peter, I just don’t think this is a great idea,” he insisted.

“Look, please. This is my chance to prove myself. I can handle it. Ned, come on,” Peter pleaded. "Most importantly, make sure Karen doesn't report Friday that the suit is active."

"You owe me a lot for this," Ned sighed and started working. However, an unpleasant feeling settled in him. That's why he worked faster than usual to get it done soon and they could start their film marathon. "Have you thought about your date? Where you're going to take MJ?" he asked with a small grin on his face. He needed a little distraction. And he wanted to ask about it anyway.

Peter's cheeks immediately turned red. He didn't want to discuss it at all, but he knew that after Ned had just done it for him, he should tell him. He would be lying if he said he wasn't curious what his friend would think. "Um, we haven't talked about when we're going yet, but I thought we could go to the American Museum of Natural History."

"Museum? Do you want her to fall asleep?”

"It's Michelle! Where else should I take her?” Peter defended. He was quite satisfied with his choice of place and even his mom liked his idea. Plus, maybe it'll expire and they won't even go on a date.

"That is actually true. When I think about it now, she'll be thrilled. That is if MJ can show any enthusiasm at all. I don't think I've ever seen her smile. If we don't count those ironic smiles," Ned muttered as Peter began to panic again. Maybe he should reconsider.

•••

A young dark-haired woman, a girl, if you prefer, was sitting in the comfort of her cozy home, writing something furiously on paper. She had a half-empty cup of coffee on the table, which was completely icy anyway. To her left lay a computer with other notes and calculations. She was close. She felt it.

She was interrupted by a faint bing announcing her new mail. So she quickly opened her e-mail box, and her heart skipped a few beats as she read the sender's name.

"Mary Fitzpatrick," she said in a low voice as if to make sure she read correctly. She took a few seconds to calm down before clicking on the message.

_"What a disappointment, isn't it? I thought you'd have the project ready by now,"_ Mary said in the video, her typical grin on her face.  _"Well, we must not be shaken by failure. In the folder, you have everything you need to make it even. Deal with it wisely, it's my precious child. I believe you're not going to give it to Ross. That has never been our goal. Finish it and finally make the Starks life Hell."_

And then she was gone again. The girl had to snort. Even though Mary was dead, everything had to go the way she wanted. She still had their lives in her hands. A few months had passed since her death, and it was still she who was pulling the strings. She shouldn't even be surprised. She always made sure she got what she wanted. And if you are the Devil himself, even death cannot stop you.

She got up angrily from the table and went to the kitchen to make fresh coffee. On that occasion, she lit a cigarette and tried to think about her new plan. She had more time for that now when she didn't have to do that much research. Maybe she should disappear for a while. But it was out of the question. She had a job and had to finish it. She had to hold to it so that no one would suspect. When the time comes, she gets rid of the idiot and finally begins her grand plan. Maybe they were still puppets in Mary's hands, but not for long. This was the last time she dictated to her what to do.

Then she will have everything in her own hands. And everyone will jump the way she whistles.


	35. Chapter 34

It was late afternoon when Peter and MJ went out after a long tour of the museum. Originally, Peter intended that they could walk or sit somewhere, but he did not want to come home late and also thought that it would be decent to accompany MJ. And that will take some time as well. He didn't expect their visit to the museum to drag on, but he feared that Michelle would get bored and want to go home as soon as possible. But she seemed really interested.

"So what are you saying?" he dared to ask her and looked at her eagerly. MJ's hair was tied in a sloppy ponytail, from which the thick strands of hair that lined her face came loose so that Peter could barely see her face and could not read her feelings.

Michelle tightened her backpack straps and smiled. "It was great and informative. I haven't had a date like this before. That's good," she added quickly, glancing at Peter as she noticed him inhaling to ask her another question. "Thank you very much. I really enjoyed it. You surprised me," she told him, poking him in the arm. Peter didn't know what to do, so he poked her too. When he realized what he had done, he blushed.  _Why are you acting like an idiot?_ he cursed inwardly.  _Because you're an idiot in love,_ he replied right away, and almost didn’t avoid a frustrated sigh.

He had never been on a date, so he didn't even know what to do. Plus, this was MJ. Completely different from the other girls he went to school with. When is the right time to take a girl's hand? Or rather, when is the right time to take MJ's hand? She didn't seem to want it. Or she just knew how to hide it ingeniously. _Why don't we learn at school about how to know girls? Who should understand that?_ he groaned in his mind, wondering if Michelle would be frightened if he took her hand. Because she was probably having a really good time and he didn't want to ruin it with her. Maybe she will be interested in another meeting, he must be careful…

"Would you like to go to the coffee shop, or are you in a hurry to get home?" Michelle asked, cutting off all his thoughts that were flying through his head. Peter looked at his watch. Well, he still has time.

"We can do that, but I don't drink coffee," he snapped, then bit his lip. Why is he still so nervous? He relaxed and even joked in the museum. So what's going on with him again now?

Michelle laughed, and when dimples appeared on her face, Peter felt like he was in love. By force of will, he looked away from her and kept smiling. Damn, he was too deep. "I know it's called a cafe, but you don't just have to go for coffee. I don't drink coffee either. Come on," MJ said, taking his hand. Peter didn't notice it until a few seconds later when they were crossing the roadside by side. _Michelle took my hand!_ he thought dazedly and inwardly like a freshman who was experiencing his first love, which would last a maximum of a week. Peter didn't know if he was scared or happy. Probably both. But he couldn't get the dumb smile from his face.

"Look, I thought... will you ever want to do it again?" Peter asked her before he lost his courage. She looked at him and his heart pounded.

"Why not?" She shrugged and pulled him into the corner cafe. They sat down in the chairs next to each other and smiled awkwardly at each other. Maybe MJ was nervous too, Peter's head flashed as he looked at her and intertwined his fingers. Michelle was an interesting girl, and that fascinated and attracted Peter, and he liked how confident, independent, she was that she could go after what she wanted. 

He was about to tell her something when a tingle ran through his body. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and froze a little. His sixth sense, or as Mom said "Peter-tingle" was back. Something was going on.

Peter's senses were alert and functioning one hundred and twenty percent. He scanned the area quickly to see if there was any danger. But everything looked normal. People who came for coffee and chat with friends.

But then he saw him.

The man was familiar to him. When he rested his gaze on him, he was sure that he has tingling because of him. But Peter had no idea why. The guy was completely ordinary. But maybe there was the catch. Ordinary on the outside, yet hiding a great secret. Where did he see him...?

"Is everything all right?" MJ asked curiously as she noticed him stunned and staring at the man, who was walking out happily with a cup of coffee. Peter just very reluctantly tore his gaze away and moved it back to Michelle, who was watching him. with a raised eyebrow, Peter was convinced he had seen the man before, he just couldn't remember where and who he was.

"Yeah, sure, I was just thinking, I'm sorry... The guy who passed by now was familiar to me from somewhere, but I can't remember how I know him. Don't you happen to know who it might be?" he asked her hopefully.

Michelle shrugged, apparently not bothered so much. Why should be? "I'm not sure, he seemed a bit like Liz's dad. Sometimes he goes to pick her up in front of the school. Maybe you saw him there. But I'm not sure if it's really him, I've always seen him from a distance. Why are you so interested? Is it important?" she asked him incomprehensibly, narrowing her eyes a little. Peter tried to look indifferent, but he didn't do very well. He was never a good actor. But Michelle didn't understand why he cared so much and why he was upset.

"Ah, sure - maybe you're right. It'll probably be him, he looked so familiar, and that it's Liz's dad, it probably makes sense..." he said casually to assure her that everything was fine, but he didn't believe it. He had never seen Liz's father, so he couldn't judge. But Peter-tingle was not just here for nothing. It was a warning. But Peter didn't know what to prepare for.

But now he was on a date with MJ, he should be focused on her. By force of will, he forced himself to suppress all fears and began to talk about what had just occurred to him. When he's home, he'll have more than enough time to think. He still has a lot of work to do.


	36. Chapter 35

Peter slammed the door and kicked his sneakers from his feet. But before he could announce he was home, Pepper appeared in front of him with a huge smile on her face. Peter was surprised, but immediately realized where he had returned from.

"Mom..." he groaned. Slowly he began to wonder if this wasn’t worse than if Dad knew.

"I'd like to hear everything, but we don't have time, so just an abridged version," she said curiously.

"Why don't we have time?" he asked incomprehensibly. He kind of hoped it would distract, but he also wanted to know what Pepper was talking about.

"Don't think you're distracting," she muttered, "so come on, you'll tell me along the way," she sighed and walked toward his room. Peter stood there for a moment like a stake in a fence, but then followed her. "You came quite late, I postponed dinner. However, I'd like you to have your things packed before we eat. You're leaving for Washington early tomorrow morning. I hope you didn't forget," she explained a little scoldingly.

He forgot. Of course, he forgot! All he thought about was an unnamed brown-haired girl. Damn, he wasn't ready at all. And he couldn't pack his suit while Mom was in his room.

"It was great, Mom! I acted like a jerk, but I don't think it was that bad, because Michelle agreed to my suggestion to do it again," he spat at her. He didn't want to tell her, but for now, it was the only way out for him. His cheeks flushed slightly as he remembered their awkward goodbye. He accompanied MJ home as a true gentleman. But when they reached the building where Michelle lives, they just stood there waiting for the other to do something. Peter finally decided to go for a hug and then quickly evaporated. Sometimes he wished he was more like his father. He certainly never felt embarrassed when it came to women.

"I'm glad to hear that, especially that you had a good time. I can't wait to meet Michelle."

"Mom, we had a date, we are not getting married," he groaned. 

"I'm not saying that, but we know Ned personally, why not Michelle? You'll tell me more after Washington, now I'll let you pack. Dinner will be in an hour," she told him in a firm voice, always making it clear that there was no room for protest. She turned to leave but stopped at the door. "By the way, Natasha is back. You're going to welcome her at dinner, okay? We have to give them some space,” she said softly, and Peter nodded. He'd rather go to Natasha right away, but he knew they needed time alone with Bruce. He really wanted it to be resolved between them. Whatever it was.

Peter set about packing and devising a plan, while one floor below Natasha gathered the courage to enter her and Bruce's room. She was glad she left. She really missed them, but only now did she realize how she had left. She did it all wrongly, but that was the just way how she has always done it. She always acted from hour to hour, from minute to minute.

She knocked lightly on the door, waiting for a response. But she didn't hear one and she was unsure. Tony told her Bruce was in their room. So she carefully opened the door and peered inside. Her heart sank when she saw the scientist breathing peacefully in their bed. He looked so calm. A smile crept across Nat's face, and she didn't hesitate for a second. She closed the door quietly behind her before sitting down next to him. Bruce felt as if he sensed it and immediately snuggled up to her.

"Nat?" he snorted but didn't open his eyes. He was probably still asleep.

"Just rest, Doc, you need it," she whispered. She hugged him with one hand and gently rummaged through his hair with the other. She knew how reassuring he was.

"I missed you," he muttered.

"I missed you too," she said honestly.

She was home.

•••

"I just don't understand why you would help him! You have drawn attention to us unnecessarily!” the man snapped at his companion. He was out of the States for a while and Toomes managed to screw everything up in the meantime.

"I had no choice and you weren't here to help me, so please be quiet. Plus, nothing happened. Spider-man is overrated, and the guy has a big mouth just like you. You will definitely get along. I think he knows who is hiding behind the mask," he informed him. He knew his companion would be interested. The fact that the suit he uses is a Stark technology he knew from almost the first videos that appeared. Adrian didn't know how he could tell, but he didn't argue with him. After all, nothing unites two people more than a common enemy. 

"If that's true, we could use it to our advantage," he said thoughtfully. It could benefit them.

"You can ask him, he should be here in a moment."

"What is it? Did you bring a friend for me?” the incoming man snapped.

"Speak of Devil..." Toomes laughed. The two present men got on his nerves, but he had to work with them. His companion didn't bother him that much, even though it was sometimes hell with him. But the other man crawled up his throat. He hoped he wouldn't have to deal with him from now on. "Have fun, gentlemen, our beloved capital awaits me," he said, and before anyone could breathe a reply, he took off and was gone.

The two remaining men stared at each other in silence for a moment, trying to assess the situation. Toomes' companion remained calm. That could not be said of the other man.

"So, I heard you threatened my companion. Do you know who I am?” he asked, putting his hands in his trouser pockets lazily.

The brown-haired man nodded. He knew him. And so he was sure they would make a deal. It was just another complication for him. Not for him personally, but he didn't know how the other participants in their project would react. He had to come up with a plan. He had to come to an agreement with him, and he had to make it look like part of his plan. Otherwise, he could go dig his own grave.

"Shall we make a deal? I think we care about the same thing."

"Do you have time? We could have a drink. I would like to know your exact intentions before we agree on something. I made mistake once and paid for it. I will not make the same mistake again," he told him diplomatically. He was an idiot back then, but he learned.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," he agreed. In the end, he had no choice.


	37. Chapter 36

"That's... brilliant," the admirably spectacled man breathed, still scrolling through the coded notes his new companion had given him. One glass quickly became two, and before the two men continued, they soon found common ground. "Really! I'm angry with myself for not thinking of anything like that."

The other man grinned and kicked the rest of the whiskey into his mouth. "In time, it might occur to you, but you wouldn't be the first holt. I've been watching your work and if you're really as good as everyone claims, it will be a pleasure to work with you. We will move it up on some level with you. And since you know brilliantly suits from Stark's workshop..." He nodded contentedly and picked up the glass the bartender had placed in front of him to indicate a toast. "When I tell her about you, she'll be thrilled. The cards will start playing in our favor again."

He seemed to get his attention. He pushed his glasses to the root of his nose and licked his lips. "Her?" he said in a somewhat surprised voice. "So your superior is a woman?"

"Well, she's not quite my boss, I'm not so involved in the project... she's in charge and I'm kind of her spokesperson. And, of course, I do a lot of menial work, such as finding new recruits to get dissatisfied with after a while, so she'll kick them out at best," he replied indifferently.

"At best?" he repeated after him, raising an eyebrow.

"It depends on what they work with," he explained calmly. "If they get the important notes they need to solve the problem, which they have to use in the next phase of the project, and then she will no longer be satisfied with them... Well, it probably won't surprise you that they'll pay for it with their life. We can't risk someone telling our secret to a friend over a glass at a bar. Unfortunately, that's the way it is, and it's no different. The secret must be kept."

"It may sound strange, but I'm starting to be even more tempted," the brown-haired man remarked amusedly. "Should I be worried about my life?"

"You're really going to be useful to us, so if you don't do something stupid, you'll be fine," he waved calmly as if talking about what they were going to cook for lunch tomorrow. "Yeah, we really won this. So please, if you fall in love with her, don't try anything on her and don't even tell her."

His companion couldn't help but laughed. "You don't have to be afraid of this. There will be no such threat," he assured him cheerfully, pulling the left corner of his lips into a fox's smile.

The dark-haired man rubbed his hands contentedly. "Well, everything works like clockwork. That would like to celebrate, right? This shot will go after me. I will drink to a new alliance."

•••

"Look, you really don't have to accompany me to the bus," Peter said a little nervously as they got out of the car. He thought he'd say goodbye to his parents and run after his classmates. After all, Ned was already waiting for him there. And Michelle was there, too. And unfortunately, also Flash...

"I know, but I thought we might meet Michelle right away, it's a great opportunity," Pepper suggested innocently, placing a hand on her son's shoulder. He looked at both his parents in disbelief and Tony just shrugged, as if he had nothing to do with it, but in secret, he was curious about a girl which their son liked.

"Mom! That's really embarrassing," Peter muttered, feeling his cheeks turn red. He hoped MJ wasn't looking. He already knew for sure that Flash would be making fun of him.

"Don't tease him so much, Pep," Tony said amusedly. So Pepper resigned, but she kept peeking at the bus, trying to figure out which of the girls was going to be Michelle. "So, do you have everything? Did you forget anything?” He turned to Peter and scanned him.

Peter nodded. "Hopefully, yes. If so, I will have to do without it if I miss something. Say hello to Nat and Bruce from me. And when we get there, I'll call you," he promised, briefly hugging Dad and then Mom. She kissed his forehead.

"Take care, honey. We will think of you and keep our fingers crossed. And don't look for trouble unnecessarily," Pepper told him, placing her hands on his shoulders. She watched him carefully as his mothers were doing. Peter felt a stinging thorn of remorse because neither parent knew he was carrying his suit with him. He actually went to Washington only because of Toomes.

"I don't look for problems, problems usually look for me. You know, I'm the whole dad," he winked at her, and the three of them laughed. "Don't worry, Mom. I can handle it."

"I know you can. And if your team happens to lose, we'll be proud of you anyway. And now please tell me - which one is Michelle?" She couldn't help but wonder. Peter felt himself blush again.

"The tall one with brown curly hair," he muttered, embarrassed. Pepper exhaled and smiled broadly.

"You made a good choice," Tony agreed, and Pepper slammed his arm lightly. "What! You don't agree, Pep?"

"She is beautiful. But the main thing is for you to be happy," she said, and then they really said goodbye. Peter came to the bus just in time - their teacher was counting them and of course Flash had to say something to him. But Peter felt mischievous when Flash found out he was just a substitute and began to protest.

"Hi. Were those your parents?" Michelle appeared beside him and looked at him curiously. Peter began to blush again. Damn it! What's wrong with him today?

"H-Hi. Yeah, they were. Sorry if they were staring, it's embarrassing, but they just... well, I was... I told them about you, so they wanted to see you," he told her embarrassedly, looking down at the ground. But MJ smiled. and poked him in the side.

"Sweet," she said, then casually added, "Shall we sit down together?" Peter almost felt dizzy. Maybe Ned won't mind…

"Yeah, why not?" he replied as evenly as he could, and they smiled at each other. Everyone got on the bus and set off for Washington in a moment. Of course, Liz used the road to warm up and prepare for the competition.


	38. Chapter 37

Tony tossed the tablet angrily on the table, whereupon he could hear a faint crunch, indicating a broken display, but it didn't bother him too much. They had some problems cooperating with China, and today he did nothing but handle emails and phone calls. Neither he nor Pepper wanted to fly to China, not at a time when they were more fixated on the other's presence. None of them were mentally fine yet. It was getting better, but not enough for one of them to fly to the other side of the world, God forbid, they both had to fly and leave Peter alone. Well, not quite alone, but even that didn't leave them calm. After all, only now were they nervous that he had gone to Washington.

"You're in no better mood than Pepper," a woman's voice said suddenly. Natasha stood leaning against the doorframe, watching Tony a little carefully. Today, she dealt with a lot at SI, while Pepper worked on the problem with China as well as Tony.

The mechanic looked up at her and looked a little hopefully behind her back, but he didn't see his fiancée, which meant she was still at SI and working hard. He rubbed his eyes wearily and sighed. "I thought it would be a little free today. I wanted to do a nice program for Pepper when Peter left for Washington in the morning, but obviously, we're not meant to spend a nice moment together," he told her of his earlier intentions. They wouldn't do anything about it today, so he was determined to take Pepper at least for dinner, though it was clear to him that she would object. She hated it so much when she had to leave undone work.

"It never goes according to plan, we know that very well," she said with a small smile.

"What about you? Aren't you going to dinner with Bruce? You should have seen him when you weren't here. He was like a lost puppy. I was worried about him," he said almost inaudibly. He thought Nat needed to hear that. He himself was upset about all his collaboration with Betty, so he understood how Natasha must have felt. He also hoped she didn't know the whole truth.

"It doesn't sound like a bad idea," she said neutrally. "What happened to Peter? Pepper only managed to tell me today that you had a problem with Spider-man," she asked, deliberately changing the subject. She didn't want to talk about her relationship with Bruce. She hasn't done anything else lately. The only one she'll talk to about it from now on is Bruce himself.

"Don't even ask, my weak heart almost didn't last that day," he muttered.

"And you let her go to Washington, huh?"

"It's a school event. Academic decathlon. He needs to be more involved in normal things. He used to do so much. Do you remember ha was going to a school band? And now the only thing he cares about is Spider-man," Tony complained. At least he started dating now. He didn't understand how Pep had managed to hide it from him.

"Colonel Rhodes on the phone, sir," Friday interrupted.

"Great, I completely forgot I called him this morning," Tony almost shouted. Natasha took it as the end of their conversation and went to see her scientist.

"Hi, Tony, I've had meetings all day, is something wrong?" Rhodey's voice came from the ceiling.

"Not much, you know, my life is boring," Tony grinned, though his best friend couldn't see it.

"Of course," the older man snorted. "So what do I owe your attention to? You haven't been in touch a long time."

"Peter left with school to Washington today, I need you to keep an eye on him. He's starting to do shit again," he told him.

"Don't tell, I wonder after whom he has it."

"It's not funny, Rhodey, we almost lost him. Again," he said through his teeth.

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the conversation. Tony was beginning to worry that he was speaking so quietly that his friend didn't hear him when he finally spoke, "Send me where he will be and I'll take care of him. I promise."

•••

"Did you want to see me?" Betty asked cautiously as she entered Liv's office. The blonde had her called, and Betty was a little nervous, to tell the truth.

"Lizzie, here you are! What took you so long?” she greeted her cheerfully, which was not a custom with her. On the contrary, she may have never seen her smile. She was always professional and a little measured.

"I had to finish work," she muttered, sitting down at the table. Liv studied her with dancing sparks in her eyes.

"I understand that, of course. I have something for you, you can take it as an extra reward for your work," she told her, overjoyed, and Betty was really beginning to worry about what it would be.

"You didn't have to worry." She swallowed hard.

"Nonsense." She waved her hand and took a thick folder from the drawer, which she handed to the brown-haired woman.

Betty looked at the folder in confusion. The only inscription written on it was in Russian. The brunette did not speak Russian but recognized the Cyrillic alphabet. Наталья Алиановна Романова.

"What is it?"

"Something to help keep your rival out of the game. You will learn a lot of interesting things from there. Natalia Alianovna Romanova is a mystery. I did not collect information about her, but my predecessor did. Watch your back, Lizzie, she's a former KGB agent. That doesn't stop you from taking back what belongs to you, does it?” she asked innocently. Playing with people was not difficult. She did this as a child.

"I don't know," she said hesitantly. Of course, she wanted Bruce just for herself, but was it a good idea to play with Black Widow? Did she have a chance at all?

"Think about it, Elizabeth. She doesn't deserve him. They have nothing in common, they have no future together. She's a killer! Is that what you want? So that someone as horrible as her could be near your Bruce? ”

Betty said nothing. Of course, she didn't want that. But how could she stand up to her when she was so dangerous? She glanced at the folder she was holding. It was really fat. Maybe she could find a way to get rid of the Russian in it.

"Can I go now?" she blurted out suddenly. Apparently, she had a long night ahead of her.

"Sure, feel free to take a few days off." A satisfied smile appeared on the blonde's face, knowing she had achieved what she wanted. She knew she had gotten into Ross's daughter's head. Betty was smart, but it was almost too easy for Liv. Considering, that she was so many years younger than everyone else she worked with, she had them all pretty much in hand.


	39. Chapter 38

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Peter cursed as he ran as fast as he could toward the Washington Monument. This didn't work out very well. Not only did he miss the decathlon, for which Liz would probably tear him apart, but he also figured out too late what the glowing ball was. And now Ned was, and who knows who else, in danger.

"Don't worry, Peter, you're almost there," Karen replied in her robotic voice, but Peter barely noticed her. His heartbeat quickened, and he could muster, though he could barely catch his breath, sensing something was happening. 

“No, no, no, no, no, no. Karen, what’s going on up there?” Peter shouted, looking at the massive building. He was in such a hurry, he didn't even notice that he had passed Michelle.

"I'm analyzing." Karen penetrated inside, and Peter immediately saw that the elevator was stuck and there were several people inside trying to get out. “The Chitauri core has detonated and caused severe structural damage to the elevator.”

"Crap, I didn't make it in time." But now wasn't the time to complain.

“My friends are up there!” Michelle said. Peter in his Spider-man suit turned behind her voice and almost breathed a sigh of relief. MJ was here! All right and safe. He was sorry he didn't have time to speak to her. Was she worried about him when he didn't show up?

“What? Uh... Don’t worry, ma’am. Everything’s gonna be okay,” he reassured her and ran toward the monument, though he wanted to hug her tightly at first, take off his mask, and tell her he was here and that he would take care of it.

“Oh, my god, that’s tall,” Peter muttered to himself as he began to climb up the monument quickly. He didn't have many superheroes like that, and Dad was with him most of the time, so when it got tough, he was sure that someone was covering his back. But now he was alone and he had a pretty serious problem. And he also had to throw away all the uncertainties of the last few months. This was a real mission. He no longer watched the bad guys here. He was already saving people here. And he had to hurry, because not only were the innocent lives at stake, but they were also the lives of his friends.

“Estimating 10 minutes before catastrophic failure,” Karen told him, and Peter gritted his teeth. “The safety systems are completely failing.”

"Thanks, Karen, I really wouldn't know without you!" he snapped ironically. He would lie if he said he wasn't afraid. Now it really all mattered to him. He's a superhero. It's his duty to save lives.

“You now have 125 seconds until catastrophic failure,” Karen informed him and made further calculations.

Peter was horrified. The adrenaline was running at full speed and spilling over his body. “What? Why?”

“Unexpected motion has caused the deterioration to escalate.”

“How do I get in there?”

“Activating reconnaissance drone,” Karen announced calmly, and if Peter didn't have to hold on, he would slap his forehead. Of course! That it didn't occur to him. He forgot how important it was to keep a clear mind in critical situations. “Locating optimal entry point.” Peter watched the little spider circle around the monument. “Proceed to the southwest window.”

“I’m on my way,” Peter said in a determined voice, climbing up quickly and firing nets to get to the window faster. He folded his arms and legs and suddenly had a palm-like view in front of him. And then he realized how high he was. He felt a little panicked inside.

“What's wrong? You've reached the southwest window.” As if Karen could feel his mood. “Why are you hesitating?”

“It’s fine. It’s just, I've just never been this high before,” Peter admitted, swallowing empty.

“You have also not reinstalled your parachute, so a fall from this height would most likely be lethal. It's a four-inch ballistic glass. You'll have to create more momentum.” 

“Perfect. Oh, my god. If mom saw me now... She would probably kill me. And Dad, too," Peter whimpered, hoping his parents would never figure it out. He shot the web, swayed, and tried to break the window. Nothing. He did it again, and this time a small crack appeared.

And with it, a police helicopter with an armed crew behind him.

“This is D.C. Metro police. Identify yourself. Return to the ground immediately. Return to the ground or we will open fire!”

Peter's last sentence made him look back. And indeed. They were aiming at him, and they probably wouldn't be afraid to shoot him. "Shit," Peter said, relieved, but he had to get inside. He swayed, circled the helicopter, and slammed the window as hard as he could. He flew in, almost gasping for breath.

He got in just in time as the elevator with his classmates and teacher began to fall. He fired webs and managed to catch them. He pushed his legs together and began to pull with all his might. But before he could continue, he was flying down. The elevator was too heavy. He landed on his classmates and fired his nets again, this time at the wall. They stopped falling.

“Uhm. Hey, how you doing? Don't worry about it. I got you. Hey, hey, big guy, quit moving around,” he shouted at Ned as he hung his head down, facing the disbelieving glances of his comrades.

“Sorry, sir. So sorry,” Ned exclaimed, but a frightened expression on his face was replaced by the excitement that Peter had made it and came to their rescue.

Peter breathed a sigh of relief and began to pull himself up. He made it! He saved his friends. His chest swelled with pride, and a happy smile adorned his face. Upstairs, they helped everyone out, and Peter slipped between them so that almost no one noticed.

"Thanks, Karen," he thanked his companion, without whom he probably wouldn't have made it. He walked quickly away from the monument before the police or cameras could find him. Then he hid not far from there and changed as soon as he could.

He returned in a good mood and texted Ned and Michelle, who apologized for not contacting her. He couldn't wait to see her again.

_The winged man robs the Damage Control_ , he wrote to Ned what he had been able to find out because he was locked up in the warehouse. _And from what he steals, he creates weapons. I have to catch him._

He still managed to send the message when someone grabbed his shoulder. Peter was startled and looked back anxiously. He found himself looking into a familiar face.

"Oh. Am I in trouble?"

Rhodey frowned. "Big-time, kid."


	40. Chapter 39

Silence. Peter's gaze burned a hole in the ground as Rhodey watched him with a raised eyebrow. For a second, it felt like he was in MIT college again with young Tony. But this was a much more serious situation, and his nephew obviously had nothing to say. Sometimes he wished he hadn't looked so much like his father, God knew that one Stark was more than enough.

"Well, your choice, you don't have to tell me what the hell happened, keep it for your parents," he said in a firm voice. "Tones called me and asked me to watch out for you. So I'll quit my job and go see my favorite nephew competing in the academic decathlon. Imagine the surprise when your team got on stage and you weren't there. I couldn't find you. Nowhere. You disappeared from the radar, and when you reappear, you're climbing the Washington Monument. Do you know how scared I was?!”

Peter finally gave him a look. Rhodey saw no sign of guilt in his eyes over what he had done. He knew the look. He saw him at Tony's too often. "There's probably no way you're not telling to mom and dad, is there?" he asked quietly. He knew it was a useless question, but maybe he had at least a small chance.

"Oh, you know I'll tell them, and even if I don't tell them, it'll appear in the media by evening. I'm surprised they haven't called yet," he informed him, tossing a bag on the floor that Peter hadn't noticed before. But now he paid all his attention to it. A wrinkle appeared on his forehead as he identified the bag as his own.

“What is it?”

"I'm taking you home. Immediately," he still replied in his colonel's voice. In the fifteen years, he had known Peter, he had known that milk and honey did not apply to him. He also expected him to be upset. He didn't want to be the one to piss him off, but he also didn't intend to calm him down. This was trouble of enormous proportions, and Peter would suffer the consequences. He only hoped that Tony would keep his head cool.

"I can't just disappear! I'm here with the school," he began to protest.

Rhodey's face settled - you mean it - expression. "It wasn't a problem for you today. However, everything is furnished. I'm listed in school as one of your legal representatives, so I can take you away without any problems," he reminded him of a fact that was easy to forget, as Rhodey picked him up at school about three times.

"That's really unbelievable," he muttered under his nose, lifting his bag off the ground.

"Of course," Rhodey snorted, walking to the car. Along the way, he wrote a quick message to Tony. He didn't tell him anything details, only that Peter had disappeared, but he had already found him and was taking him home. They will have to solve the rest themselves. He was definitely not going to get involved. He was already threatening his status as the best uncle.

Peter grunted, sat back, and immediately turned his head to look out from the window. Rhodey watched him in the rearview mirror for a few seconds before sighing with his eyes on the road and heading for New York.

•••

In the end, Tony didn't get his fiancée for dinner. Instead, he stayed with her in the office late into the night, trying to find a solution. They didn't make it until this morning, after which Pepper agreed to lunch, but at this stage, it was something between a late lunch and an early dinner. Well, seriously, Pepper keeps claiming he's a terrible workaholic, buts he's not any better herself.

"I'm really sorry, but I had to do another meeting," Peper apologized for the fifth time as they entered the restaurant where Tony had made a reservation for them.

"Pep, love, please don't apologize again. Let's just enjoy our lunch slash dinner, shall we?” he suggested, pushing her chair back so she could sit down.

"I'm only in," she said with a smile.

"Great," Tony almost yelled. Sometimes it was really hard to convince Pepper to turn off completely for a while and just enjoy what was going on.

Tony's cell phone on the table beeped, announcing a new message, which Tony would normally have left because he was on a date with his beloved, but he saw Rhodey's name on the screen, so he didn't hesitate for a second and picked up the phone, so he could read what his friend was writing to him.

Pepper, meanwhile, started on the menu, because she was quite hungry, to tell the truth. However, she managed to read only a few appetizers before she noticed a blue-red smudge out of the corner of her eye.

At the moment, they were in a restaurant where were mostly influential people, who like to be in the picture all the time, so they have several TV screens on which the latest news runs all the time. She looked up at the nearest of them and watched with utter surprise at what had happened today.

On TV, the news shows Spider-man at the Washington Monument. The headline says _“Spider-man Climbs Washington Monument._ ” Pepper swallowed hard and looked at Tony, who was frowning at the phone.

"Tony," she said almost inaudibly. Her future husband immediately paid attention to her, knowing the tone of her voice all too well. Helplessness, fear, and hopelessness.

"I can't breathe," she hissed, glancing back at the screen. Tony followed her, changing every possible emotion in a second when he saw their son in the news. He remained calm only because he knew that Rhodey was on his way home with Peter, and also because Pepper needed him more now than ever.

He didn't hesitate for a moment, grabbed Pep's hand, and led her out. He knows a panic attack when he sees one. He just never thought he could witness it at Pepper.

"Pep, love, I'm here with you. We'll sit on the ground now, okay?" he informed her of his intentions before sitting down carefully with her. Neither was dressed to sit on the dirty sidewalk, but that didn't matter now. "You have to breathe deeply."

“I can’t.”

"Yes, you can. Pep, you just have to concentrate. I know you can do it," he tried to reassure her. He had to bring her to other thoughts. To some that didn't involve their son, because he was part of what caused the attack at all. "Do you remember the first time we danced together? You were wearing the beautiful blue dress you got from me for your birthday. I swear to you, it was just the two of us at the time. At that moment, no one around me existed. And to this day, I blame myself for letting you stand on that balcony alone. I should have come back with your extra dry martini with extra olives. I should have kissed you that night. But I didn't do any of that. I didn't have the courage to do so for almost a year when you said you were leaving us," he said, watching his fiancée intently. She seemed to be listening to him as her breathing returned to normal. "I love you," he breathed, kissing her forehead.

"Why are we sitting on the ground?" she asked confused.

"You just had a panic attack, Pepper," he told her tenderly, helping her to her feet.

"Oh," she whispered shakily, and it was clear to Tony that she remembered why the seizure had occurred in the first place.

"Everything is alright. Rhodey is already taking Peter home," he blurted out before she collapsed again.

"What was he thinking?" she gasped and hugged him tightly.

"I don't know, but when he returns, we'll work it out," he assured her. There was waiting a very long time for Peter when he is not going to wear a Spider-Man suit.


	41. Chapter 40

_“ Spider-Man swooped in, heroically saving an Academic Decathlon team from Queens. The identity of the masked hero is still unknown.” _

Ross growled in frustration and turned off the television. He turned on the news every day, it was his ritual. Although he was often irritated by what pettiness was being dealt with there, he never once missed an opportunity to get new information from the world. For example, the Avengers. On the return of the superheroes, the media would feel pretty good and would not leave it unanswered. In this, he was sure that he would never miss the news about the former team. And let's see. There was a new hero on the scene who didn't belong to the Avengers at the time.

Spider-man. Blood boiled inside him just when he heard his name. He wasn't the only one who didn't like the spider hero at all, many of his co-workers he dealt with were riding the same wave. They had no information at all about the stranger. And that made him nervous and frightened him at the same time. Thaddeus Ross was a man who needed order and control in everything. And when he didn't have it, he was scared. And fear aroused anger and aggression in him.

Ross got up from his chair, folded his arms behind his back, and began pacing around his office to calm himself down a little. He, too, had scouts in many places, but they had never been able to track down Spider-Man. He wasn't like the Avengers. He worked alone, he was more secluded, and whenever something happened, he was probably right there, and then he disappeared again before anyone noticed. As if he had left no traces behind. But clues always exist, they must. Maybe they were just looking in the wrong places. Maybe it's a lot easier than it seems. Maybe they were just blind all the time, with the answers at their fingertips.

Someone knocked hard on the door. Ross looked at the wall clock, then instructed, with a grumpy voice, the stranger to come in. The spokesman for the project, which he had been funding for many months and whose heads promised him results with which he would be satisfied, took an energetic step in. But said nothing.

"You've probably heard the news, too, haven't you? The spider hero appeared to the public after a long time. What do you say?” he growled at the man, who, meanwhile, sat comfortably in a chair and smoothed his pants.

"What do I say? Rather nothing. It's good that he showed up again, at least we have a fresh clue from which we can go on. But I won't lie, I was overwhelmed by the fury of looking at him. I'd rather twist his fragile neck," he smiled sweetly and gritted his teeth.

"Hmm," Ross muttered, sitting down in the swivel chair across from him. "But you know who's hiding under a mask," he struck him again. "I want to know."

The brown-haired man with the shaved face smiled lazily and joined his fingers in his lap. "Well, I don't know for sure. I only have assumptions, and in my opinion, they will not be very correct. But I also have good contacts in influential places. You understand that very well, don't you, Ross?” Then he sighed briefly as if he was tired of their conversation. "But don't worry, we're really moving forward now. Not only do we have someone on the team who is very close to Stark, but we also have someone who is really thoroughly familiar with how his suit works, which gives us a certain advantage."

"You have been promising me the results for several months now. I'm getting impatient, especially when another masked superhero shows up again!” Ross slammed his fist on the table until the empty mug rattled.

"Believe me, I'm not excited about it either, I was hoping to get this over with soon. You know how those little snags can complicate the whole project... But don't worry. We're also working to catch Spider-man. If possible, alive, of course," he grinned.

"At least something," Ross growled.

The tall brown hair rose and grinned. "Well, neither of us are completely satisfied. We each had a completely different idea of things. But you know, when it's necessary, the drowning man is catching the stem..." he muttered mysteriously, and Ross frowned incomprehensibly. He had no idea what the guy was talking about. "Well, I won't bother you anymore. Have a nice day. And if you feel really frustrated, you can think of ways to torture or kill Spider-man. Believe me, it helps," he winked at him and then disappeared from his office.

Ross stared at the closed door, then rolled his eyes. "Idiot," he muttered to himself, pulling up a stack of papers to go through.

•••

"Have mercy on me, and don't send me to the old grumpy old man again next time," the brown-haired man exclaimed theatrically as he joined his companion, who was watching the work of her employees closely from the balcony. Mostly their new additions - a promising man who had considerable experience with Stark's suits. She had to smile; if only the Starks knew how far their enemies had come. She didn't believe they were really that naive, and she thought that after one defeat, they got rid of them for good. No way. She clenched her fists. It's similar to Hydra. You cut off one head and then the other two grow.

"I probably won't comply you in this, and I've told you several times. Do not worry. I believe it won't be long and Ross will get what he deserves," the blonde replied in a firm voice as he stood beside her.

The man grinned. "Keep reassuring him, smiling at him, and reassuring him that everything is going according to plan and will be done soon... pff, I feel like a jammed gramophone record. And I haven't dropped steam in a long time, I'm getting frustrated. Don't you have a little murder on the program?” He rubbed his hands.

"No, not yet. But we'll see how things work out and whether it will still be necessary to remove some people. Look at him," she pointed to their new employee, "he's in his element, and I can't complain yet. If you want to drop a little steam, darling, he'd love to help you if you know what I mean," she teased him with a smirk. "Well, you're not the first person to throw an eye at. But you would be a perfectly suitable adept for him, given your position—"

"Haha, that's enough," the brown-haired man growled, leaning against the railing.

"Now things are finally moving in the right direction. I feel it. He was sent to us by the Devil himself. It will work now. As the two of us, he knows very well what he wants, and he will go over the corpses."


	42. Chapter 41

"I'm sorry?" Peter muttered softly after an endless moment of silence. When he returned home, he was seated in the living room on the couch, while Pepper sat in an armchair, Tony was angrily pacing from one end of the room to the other, and his uncles and aunt stood nearby.

After his words, Tony stopped abruptly and gave him a disbelieving look. "Are you asking me that, or are you telling me?" he asked coldly, and Peter began to open his mouth with an answer, but he didn't have time to make a sound before he was grossly silenced. "Please be silent! Do you think I don't know that you're not sorry? Do you think Rhodey didn't tell me how you reacted when he confronted you?” he snapped.

Peter frowned at Rhodey, who obviously didn't miss that. "So maybe we should leave them alone," he said to Bruce and Nat. They nodded in agreement and the three left the room.

"How could something like that have occurred to you at all? Spider-man in Washington! Do you think none of your classmates will connect anything?” Tony continued. Pepper was still sitting there in silence, and Peter knew she was really upset. He had only experienced it with her once, after Germany. And he hated it. He hated it so much, but he still couldn't force himself to regret his actions.

"I don't know what you want me to say. I'm glad I was there because if I wasn't there, they're dead! So Ned is dead!” he shouted a little shakily. He barely made it, and the thought of losing his best friend was awful.

"No, if you weren't there, nothing would happen in the first place," Tony corrected him sharply.

"Tony!" Pepper warned him. She knew their son needed an ice shower, but this wasn't very tactful of her future husband.

"It worked out well," Peter said, staring at his hands in his lap. He didn't want his dad to see how much his words hurt him. It was like a well-aimed blow.

"For this time. You were lucky, but it didn't have to go well for anyone. Not for you, let alone for your classmates. "

"Sir, Secretary Ross wants to contact you," Friday interrupted.

"He has great timing as always. I'm out of reach," Tony said through gritted teeth. He could no longer be in a worse mood than he was.

"You'll only leave the house until further notice if you go to school and come back straight from school, is that clear?" Pepper asked in her director's voice, and Peter would normally consider it a rhetorical question, but he knew that he was now required to answer. He nodded in agreement and even dared to look at his mother. Not a single emotion reflected in her face. Not a single one. And it broke Peter's heart to know that late at night when she thought he was asleep, her stone mask would break. And he would hear all her true feelings, and a small sense of guilt would finally come. But only because of her. Always because of her. She was his weakness. He and Dad were too alike for blame to come because of him. He knew he would behave the same. Apparently, they had it in blood.

"Can I go to my room now?" he muttered.

"Sure, get something to eat along the way," Tony reminded him because it was clear to him that his son hadn't eaten.

Peter just nodded and then left the living room as quickly as possible. It wasn't pleasant, but he believed it would be better soon. Dad will get over it soon, his mother will soften up somehow, he has important information he needed, and in the end, it all turned out well, didn't it? He hadn't wanted to be a Spider-Man for the last few months. He didn't want the skills he had. But now that he was putting on his suit again and was about to stop the dangerous people, he remembered what it was like to be a masked hero. He remembered why he was doing it. He reminded himself that he could not live without it - that it was part of him.

"Sir, you have Minister Ross on the line, he says it's urgent," Friday said again as Peter left the room.

"I don't want to talk to him," he told her, hoping that was the last time he'd heard of Ross for tonight.

"I hate it," Pepper said, glancing at him. "I hate it so much," she said so sadly that Tony's heart pounded. He knew what it was all about. Years ago, she confided to him that sometimes she was saddened by the life she lived with, or with whom. It was so hard for her. Tony thought for a moment that he would end with all that superheroism. But it was hard for him to do that.

"I know," he sighed, sitting on the armrest so he could pull her into his arms. "We love you. Me and Peter."

"I love you too," she whispered, "just wish we'd live a normal life sometimes."

Tony said nothing. He had nothing to say. He sometimes wished they could live normal lives too, especially in situations like this.

"Well, I'll go get some more emails done and then I'll go to bed. It was a difficult day," she said suddenly in a firm voice and with an unreadable expression. She broke free of Tony's grip so she could stand up and give him a small kiss before breaking away. She passed the doorway with Rhodey, the newcomer, holding the phone in his hand.

"Ross called," he informed his friend on the doorstep. He didn't know what his mood was, so he kept his distance.

"I know, I ghosted him, I wasn't in the mood to talk to him. I had a more important thing to do," Tony said, a little resignedly. He was also tired from today.

"Yeah, you didn't answer the call, so he called me," Rhodey corrected. The timing was suspicious and he didn't like it very much.

"And what did the old moron want?"

"We have a meeting in Washington tomorrow morning. Which reminds me that we don't know where Vision is," he replied uncertainly.

"We'll have to go without him. I'm more interested in why we have to go all the way to Washington when we're all here?”

"I don't know, he probably wants to be theatrical. Listen, I'm not happy about that either, but we should listen to him. Doesn't it seem strange to you that he wants to talk to us suddenly? It will be better if we know what he is up to."

"You're right," he sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily. "Does Natasha already know?"

"She was there when I talked to him. She doesn't like it either."

"When it comes to Ross, it's never a good sign. We'll take a Quinjet in the morning to save time. I'll take Peter to school, I want to have him under control now before he settles down," he informed him, and then he also left.


	43. Chapter 42

"So how was it? How did it turn out? Do you have a problem?" Ned asked immediately when Peter came to school and greeted him at the lockers.

Young Stark smirked and took a textbook. "Yeah, I have a problem. I'm grounded, mom and dad will probably take me to and out of school... That reminds me, I'll have to find MJ and explain it to her. But no excuse has yet occurred to me why I can't take a step out of the house."

"Too bad you're smart. You could say it´s about grades," Ned remarked, and they walked slowly toward the classroom. "Look, what if you invited MJ to your home? Then your mom would allow you to take her somewhere..."

Peter thought. "It didn't occur to me. Well, I can try, it seems stupid to use Michelle like this... But what, it still won't work. Mom is completely on the branch, so she will probably steal her for herself for the whole afternoon. But maybe she wouldn't even notice I disappeared because of it. Yeah, it reminds me they also confiscated my suit."

"That's unfortunate," Ned regretted him. "But it was to be expected. What are you going to do about it?"

"Well, I will definitely not just leave it like that. Not when I'm so close and I have those bastards at my reach! I can make new webs, maybe I'll have an old suit somewhere without all the conveniences my dad and I added to the new one. But who needs heating and a spider drone and..." Peter swallowed. Damn it, when he talked about it, he was actually starting to miss his suit a little bit. Well, he's used to Karen's comfort, too, but he'll have to do without it.

"That'll be fine, bro. We'll figure it out somehow."

"Maybe I could turn to Loki..." A new, insane idea flashed through Peter's head. Loki was working with illusions. Maybe it would work somehow. His new obsession was stronger than a bad conscience for not listening to his parents like that. But it was necessary, those criminals belong behind bars, and if Dad doesn't listen to him…

He sighed. No, the life of a superhero was definitely not a feather.

•••

"You must have been surprised that I called you so quickly and asked for an urgent meeting," Ross began to talk in his authoritative and cold voice, then gave a stern look to each of them. Natasha Romanov, who looked a little disinterested. Tony Stark, who looked bored. And James Rhodes, the only one listening. Of the original Avengers, there were woefully few, but Ross didn't let that upset him. He will only work with them until he gets his new obedient team. 

No one responded, so he continued his monologue. "It's simple. You three have signed the Sokovia Accords and our cooperation continues. Neither of you has done anything to force me to take any action and punishment against you, for which I commend you." He even nodded at Natasha, although he was not twice as enthusiastic about her return and the pardon he had been forced to do. But on the other hand, she was an excellent spy and easily and quickly got to where his trained men did not. "That's why I'm turning to you now for help. It may not be new to you, you may not have heard of him yet - but a new superhero, who calls himself Spider-man and is practically impossible to catch him, he is starting to run through New York." As proof of his words on the screen in front of them projected video, in which the mainframe being Spider-Man. They were short excerpts of videos as he roams the streets of New York and finally Washington, which was also in the news.

Tony winced when he saw his son. His blood froze in his veins. He had to hold on very tightly so as not to show any emotion. Ross couldn't tell that Tony knew who was hiding under a Spider-Man's mask. He was terrified by the idea of what Ross might want from them. He had an obsession with obedient superheroes. He also had to control Spider-man, whom he apparently knew woefully little about, and even humiliated himself to ask the rest of the Avengers for help. Tony held on so he wouldn't sneer. That must be really humiliating for him. He felt proud of Peter that he didn't get caught and always escaped scoundrels like Ross, but at the same time, he was terrified that the Home Secretary had managed to sniff out the boy.

"We heard about him. After all, we have time to watch the news, too," Natasha said venomously, folding her arms across her chest. Tony knew how much she hated Ross, and he understood her completely. Still, he was afraid she would do something stupid. Lately, it wasn't even Natasha he knew. Was possible that her love for Bruce would change her so much?

Ross preferred not to react to her - probably in the context of maintaining good relations. He glared at the three superheroes again and explained his request. "I need your help in the sense that we can't find Spider-Man anywhere. It is not in our power to stop him and acquaint him with the terms of the Sokovia Accords. That will be your job. Find Spider-man and bring him to me. If he is obedient and signs, he can become a new addition to your team. By the way, where is Vision?”

"Unfortunately, we do not know, sir. We haven't been in contact with him since the incident in Germany," Rhodey told him. Tony wondered if there was a way to get out of it all. But he was afraid it wasn't. But he was not going to bring Peter to Ross, definitely not. He couldn't threaten him. But maybe it won't be a problem. Peter has his suit confiscated, and if he doesn't use it now, maybe Ross will forget about it and let it be... He already knew he was lying to himself.

"Okay, okay... Well, I guess that's how it's supposed to be. You three are the best people on the original team to stay here. And also the most sensible, because you correctly evaluated what is best for you and you signed," Ross said contentedly. Tony grinned. Just keep the honey around our mouths... Suddenly he became very angry and felt that if he hit Ross, it would be the best way to vent the frustration that had accumulated in him in recent days.

Maybe Natasha sensed his inner mood as she said, "Well if that's all, let's go. We'll do our best, sir," she assured him with a serious face and stood up. Ross nodded, and when she left the room, he looked at her suspiciously. Tony and Rhodey joined her in a moment.

"Anyone has any idea what the hell we're going to do with this?" she hissed at them as they headed for Quinjet together.

"No," Tony admitted wearily. As if he had gone back sometime when the Sokovia Accords was the order of the day on their team. And it was also the cause of their disintegration and subsequent alienation.

"Looks like we're pretty fucked up," Rhodey commented directly, summing up feelings of all of them in one sentence.


	44. Chapter 43

"So, does anyone have a plan?" Rhodey asked as they took off. Tony switched Quinjet to autopilot mode and sat down next to Rhodey while Natasha was standing opposite them. Tony knew that the meeting with Ross must have really taken her off, for otherwise she would have sat still and told them coldly what would follow. Just like she did when Mary kidnapped Peter. Another thing he knew was that Natasha was here with them now, not Black Widow.

"Maybe an accident could happen to Ross," she suggested reluctantly. She hated her past so much and definitely didn't want to go back to it. But her family was in danger here. "The guy's a pain in my ass anyway."

"It would solve a lot of our problems, but unfortunately it's not the solution for us," Tony sighed. "Besides, Peter doesn't even have a suit now. Spider-man won't be anywhere for a long time now. We can't find someone who practically doesn't exist. "

"It will give us time, but then what? He won't stop and you definitely can't let him sign it-"

"Damn it, Rhodey, do you think I don't know that?!" he snapped nervously and jumped to his feet. He couldn't just sit still and discuss such a serious topic. "In the end, we should have known, shouldn't we? If the Avengers cannot exist without control, why could anyone else act on their own? We were just the beginning…"

"Will you tell him?" Natasha asked curiously. It could be one of the possible solutions. They could let him decide for himself. He could be smart enough to know he should stop. But it was only their pious wish. They didn't stop on their own, so why should he?

"Definitely not. At least not yet. As I said, he won't be wearing the suit for some amount of time from now on," Tony replied in a firm voice. He couldn't anticipate Peter's reaction when he found out Ross was after him, but he was sure he was going to have some nonsense.

The plane fell silent for a moment. All three thought hard to solve this new problem. Each of them went through it. And it was even harder because they knew the possibilities. Sign and get rid of free choice. Don't sign and end your superhero career. In the worst case, don't sign and become a "criminal" like the rest of their team.

"What about Pepper?" Rhodey asked another question. Everyone knew how hard it was for her that Peter followed in Tony's footsteps. How would she react when she found out that Ross was stepping on his heels?

"Normally I'd say she can't know anything, but we're telling ourselves the truth and I can't keep it from her."

"Well, everything bad is good for something, isn't it? You've finally grown up," Rhodes said proudly.

"So what? Shall we do nothing?” Nat wanted to know.

"Not yet," Tony replied, sitting down again. He remembered Bruce involuntarily. Maybe he should talk to him at home. He stopped liking all his cooperation with Betty more and more. Especially now that Ross was breathing down their necks again.

•••

Peter experienced one of the worst moments of his life. He never thought driving home from school could be so torturous, but it happened. Pepper didn't say a word to him all the time, not counting the typical questions about his school day. Now they were home, and the woman he considered his mother went to the kitchen without a word, while he stood in the hallway, as if his legs had grown to the ground. At least Dad spoke to him normally in the morning. He told him about how he had to go to Washington and how much he hated Ross. He even exchanged some jokes. But Pepper was persistent. It was perhaps even worse than when they returned from Germany.

Peter walked slowly behind her. However, he remained standing in the kitchen doorway, watching her in silence for a moment.

"I've been thinking... I know I can't go anywhere, but couldn't there be an exception for Michelle? She doesn't know I'm Spider-man and I don't have a way to justify my grounding," he muttered in a low voice. He was afraid that when he spoke out loud, something terrible would happen. Although he did not know what. It was just how Pepper looked at him right now. "Mom?" he addressed her when she didn't respond to his presence or perhaps a request.

Pepper gave him a look. "I'll let it go through my head and discuss it with Tony, okay?"

"Will you be mad at me forever?" he blurted out. He thought he could handle it. That it's nothing. But he is not used to having a bad relationship with his parents. He doesn't like it.

"That's a bit of a useless question, don't you think? You know I will not," she replied defeated. She didn't even like the way they were with each other now, but she wasn't ready to throw it out of her head yet. He had to understand that what he had done was wrong.

"I.." he began in a hoarse voice but said nothing more. He had no words. He knew that an apology would not be enough, and he was not sorry. He hurried to the table and placed a small box on the table, which he pulled from his pocket. "I made this for you in the workshops."

"Is that a bribe?"

"I started working on it a few months ago, so no. Just look, please,” he pleaded, and Pepper had no choice but to open the box. After all, how could she turn him down? It didn't matter that she was mad at him at the moment. He was her son and made her a present at school. It reminded her of the days when he carried drawings at home, and he always had one for her for taking care of him and Tony.

"Peter," she breathed in astonishment as she peered into the box where she had found a tulip brooch.

"We were given the task last year, but since I was missing a lot, I only managed to finish it now. The task was: If you create a link that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more to become something more, then you are an extraordinary leader. You know I don't regret what happened. The only thing I regret is that my actions hurt you and Dad. But I can't stop it. And it's clear to me that you know that, because if one could stop, Dad wouldn't be an Iron Man a long time ago," he said, taking a breath.

"It’s so beautiful, thank you," she said with a small smile on her face, which was a great success for Peter. "Dinner will be at seven," she informed him, then went to her office with her brooch. She still had a lot of work to do today, but she decided to take care of everything from home. Bruce was there, but Pepper was calmer when she had her son under the same roof as she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're halfway through the story. What do you think so far? Did you like the first part more, or do you prefer the second part? ❤️


	45. Chapter 44

"So where's my favorite nephew?" Natasha asked jokingly as she peered into Peter's room and knocked briefly on the door. She raised an eyebrow when she saw the young man lying on the bed, smirking at his phone display. "Can I come in or are you working on something important?" 

Peter immediately raised his eyes and beamed when he saw Natasha. When she returned from Clint, she was in a much better mood than before, so it seemed that everything was fine between her and Bruce again. The only thing Peter was afraid of and immediately ashamed of, was that there was again a high probability that they would move away from them.

“Aunt Nat! You are always welcome here," Peter replied, sitting up. He took one last longing look at his phone and then placed it next to him. Nat had to laugh softly. "Am I your favorite nephew? Do you prefer me over Nathaniel?" he asked, grinning. Natasha sat down on the bed next to him and ruffled his hair.

"Look, I can't answer that question. It's like asking a mother which of her children she likes best," she told him, then tilted her head to the side. "What did you smile like that? Did someone send you a joke? Or is there something else behind it, huh?" she teased him, and Peter blushed, revealing a little.

"Since when are you interested in the gossip?" He tried to delay the moment of truth even further.

"Look, just because I'm cynical sometimes, I look like an ice queen and I'm an agent doesn't mean I'm still not a woman. All females are gossip girls, some more and some less. I spent most of my life on a completely different level than the rest of the women. But now I want to hear what's new in your life unless we count the huge bomb from Washington that orbited the world," she urged him with a small smile and Peter ran his hand through his hair in frustration. They'll be throwing this at him for a long time, but at least Aunt Nat looked at it with humor. He hadn't even asked her what he thought of it yet.

"I was talking to Michelle," he muttered, a little embarrassed, afraid she'd tease him. "Mom told you something about her already, didn't she?"

Natasha looked almost mysterious. "Maybe. But I'd much rather hear it from you. So?"

"I have liked her for some time, but only recently I have decided to invite her on a date. She's really amazing, Nat. You would like her."

"Is she an agent or a superhero?" she laughed. "No, I'm sorry. Go on."

"In a way, she's a superhero," he replied in a dreamy voice. "You know, I'd love to take her out again. But mom and dad grounded me after Washington. I asked my mom if they would at least allow me to go on a date with MJ, but she told me she would talk to dad about it.  Couldn't you have a good word with them for me?" He turned to her with puppy eyes. Natasha had to turn away in a hurry because his cuteness would be hard to resist.  Funny how she, a trained killer and a fearless agent, has already lost a fight with a cute teenager.

"Well, we'll see," she said vaguely.

"Now, let's talk about you," he said cheerfully. "What about you and Bruce? What about Washington, how did it go?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't such an adventure as yours," she teased him, laughing benevolently. "You know, it's Ross. He sanded us again, but at the same time he smeared the honey around our mouths so that we would feel that we were obeying his order voluntarily." Natasha rolled her eyes and shook her head when she saw Peter's eager expression. "But what he wanted from us is top secret, and if there's anyone who can tell you, it's Tony alone. Plus, I heard they confiscated your suit anyway."

While Peter was whining, defending his innocence, throwing one argument after another, discussing his incident in Washington with Natasha, Pepper and Tony met in the kitchen. Pepper rested her hips on the line and warmed her hands against a cup of tea. Tony, meanwhile, was making coffee and telling his future wife about what Ross had told them to do.

"Do you understand how crazy that is? I can't give him my own son. Then he would have complete control over our family. And I can't put Peter in front of such a decision, because he's still too young, with no experience, who knows which side he would take, you know his impulsive behavior. I can't risk refusing to sign it, Ross would make him forget about superheroism, and of course, Peter wouldn't like that. After all, he bypassed us as well, he won't have a problem bypassing a stranger," Tony sighed, running a hand over his face wearily.

Pepper had to agree with him. "I know he quietly blames us for confiscating his suit, but we did well. Especially when we consider what action Ross wants to take against him. Catch him and bring him to him... is he some dangerous beast?!" A sleeping lioness wakes up in Pepper, fighting for her cub. Tony smiled at her and gently pulled her into his arms.

"I know. And yet it's just a small, harmless spider. Well, all we have left is to hope that if Peter doesn't show up in public for a long time now as Spider-man, Ross will let it be. But as far as I know, it's clear to me that it probably won't be that simple. When he comes up with something, he has to make it to the end. And I would be very reluctant if our son ran away and went into exile.” Like Steve, he added bitterly.

"Let's look at it positively, at least we only face Ross and not any other Mary. I probably wouldn't be able to do that again," Pepper said, and Tony agreed. He can handle Ross. They've always dealt with him somehow, they've tried to negotiate compromises. After all, he himself could get around him when his task was to find Steve and bring him to Ross. They did it once, they will do it again. This is about their son.


	46. Chapter 45

"Wait, wait, wait," Tony mumbled, grabbing Peter's arm to keep him from getting out of the car.

"Dad, we don't have time to talk, I have to go to school," Peter moaned angrily. He probably had another sermon waiting for him, and he really didn't want to listen.

"I think you might be interested in this," Tony grinned. He took off his glasses so he could look deep into his son's soul. "I talked to Pepper, and after due consideration, we decided you could take Michelle on a date-"

"Really?!" Peter interrupted in surprise.

"Yes, but as you probably already know, it will have some rules, and this time, please follow them. Now go or you'll be late," he urged him, putting his glasses back on, usually indicating that the conversation was over.

"I'll see you in the afternoon," Peter said goodbye before running excitedly out of the car. He couldn't believe that his parents had really allowed him to take Michelle out.

"Hello, loser." MJ appeared beside him as soon as he entered the school. Red immediately fell on Young Stark's face.

"MJ!" he yelled, then his face twitched for a second. What was going on with him? Couldn't he have behaved normally in her presence? "So, won't we finally repeat our date?" he muttered, slightly shyly. He was still afraid she would reject him. Why would she even want to go anywhere with him?

"Sure why not? Is it good for you on Friday?” she asked, interrupting his negative thoughts.

_It suits me all the time now_ , Peter thought, but fortunately, he didn't say it out loud. "Yeah, I'm free."

"Do you have anything planned yet? You really succeeded with the museum last time," she praised him and Peter was now red behind his ears.

"Actually, I haven't had a chance to think about it yet-"

Michelle saw Peter's expression sadden, so she decided to save him exceptionally. "You know what? Why don't you leave it to me this time?” she interrupted with a small smile. She noticed that she did it quite often in his presence. It ruined her reputation, but she couldn't help herself.

She gave him one last look before walking to her locker. She had to erase the stupid smile from her face. She'd heard a few people talk about them like that before. It was just as strange that no one was interested in them most of the time, and then they got a little closer and they were starting to be the center of attention. Michelle never understood why that was, and she hoped she wouldn't get too much attention. She enjoyed the inconspicuousness and was sure that Peter appreciated it as well. Due to his secret.

•••

Natasha was sitting at a small table in one of the cafes, which focused on quality rather than quantity, while Bruce had a business meeting that should end soon, and he should join her right away. It was still quite nice when it was autumn and the redhead decided that they should take advantage of it and go for a walk around the city.

And as she waited for Bruce, she read the newspaper and enjoyed a moment of peace. Sometimes she did it as a cover, but today it was the first time she'd really read what was written on paper. It was her quest for a normal life. She reached for a half-empty mug of filtered coffee when she saw an unknown object out of the corner of her eye in an unoccupied chair that stood at her desk. She set down the newspaper carefully and took a closer look at the object lying suspiciously close. Now she knew they were ballet shoes, and she didn't have to look too long to know they were the type she danced in. Well, at least they told her that, now she knew she had never done ballet. That her life as a successful Russian ballerina was a fabrication.

She tried not to seem discouraged by the finding, as she had such an unfortunate suspicion that she was currently being watched. The truth was that there was no cut blood in her. It was here again. The past caught up with her. Exactly as Fury said. The past was her weakness. With a completely blank expression, she looked around but saw nothing suspicious. And that worried her even more than those stupid ballet shoes.

Suddenly, a stranger's hand appeared on her shoulder, and she immediately found herself in her spy regime, but before she could attack, an unknown person said, "I hope I'm on time!" And immediately the brown-haired man kissed her.

"It was a close call," she teased him, smiling at him. But Bruce noticed that something was wrong with his redhead.

"Did something happen?" he asked, frowning. He was in a good mood. The meeting with Betty turned out well and the afternoon spent with Nat was waiting for him, so why wouldn't he? But now his mood had worsened rapidly.

"Of course not, I'm just bored of sitting here alone. Shall we go?” She gave him an answer he didn't quite believe, but he knew he wouldn't get any more out of it.

"Of course," he agreed, offering her his arm which she warmly accepted.

Natasha's instinct was correct, though she saw nothing suspicious, as a brown-haired woman was watching them from across the street. She didn't want to miss the moment when she got in the head of the famous Black Widow. She was no expert in that. She had never been interested in these things, but after carefully studying the file Liv had given her, she knew it wouldn't be that hard to get into Natasha Romanov's head. The former Russian spy was careful, but they dug into her head long enough, and you just can't get rid of it.

"Just enjoy it while you can. The game’s on, Miss Romanov," Betty grinned, and as soon as the pair was out of sight, she walked back to the labs. She was sure that if her father knew about her act today, he would be very proud of her. She finally followed in his footsteps, but unlike him, she even gets her job done. And then Bruce will be just hers.


End file.
